How Much Can Happen In A Year?
by pikapiaaml
Summary: What can happen to Ash and Misty through 12 months? Can they handle their life, dreams and a pregnancy, as well as stay together? PART 8 finally up, it took all of 4 months! I'm getting back into the rhythm now ...
1. New Years

Disclaimer: I own 3 recently-released Japanese Pokémon CD's! But ... I don't own da Pokémon yet ...

Hey ... wait a minute ... anything look ... different to you? It should do! NEW TITLE, for one! Italics ... oO And an extra couple at the talent contest! Here's the new upload, and what you missed in the original version of:

How Much Can Happen In A Year?

The New Years party was in full swing at the Snowela Park Pokémon Centre, high in the mountains of Johto. Brock stood at the side of the wood-built room, glancing around at all the available girls who were there, as well as keeping a very close eye on Nurse Joy. He was also keeping an eye his friends, Ash and Misty, standing next to each other, laughing. As Togepi and Pikachu were over in the "PokéCorner" dancing together, they didn't have to worry and could enjoy the party. But, it wasn't as if Ash and Misty didn't already spend enough time together.

Brock kept on glancing at the clock, counting down the minutes until midnight struck ... The amount of time left for him to find a girl to kiss. 22:00 ... 22:30 ... When the clock struck 23:00 he watched as Nurse Joy stepped onto the small stage, holding a microphone in her hand. She switched it on and tapped it, the DJ turning the music down.

"Excuse me please!" Joy said, waiting for the crowd to quieten down. "I'm not sure if you're all aware, but we have surprise karaoke couple singing tonight," she announced. The swarm of "quiet" partygoers quickly fell silent, some displaying white faces, green faces, choking faces ...

The DJ brought two top hats to Joy on the stage. "Ok. Girls names are in this hat, and boys names are in this hat," he announced, raising the appropriate hat. "We'll pick one name each, and whoever gets picked _has_ to sing. _No_ excuses guys." He put his hand into the "Girl" hat and rummaged around, while Joy put her hand into the "Boy" hat and picked a ticket.

Ash, still standing next to Misty, wasn't worried at all. What are the chances of being picked? "This should be funny," he whispered to her. She turned round to face him.

"You won't be saying that if you're picked," she reminded him, winking. Brock smiled, knowing what was going to happen, having come up with the idea in the first place.

"The first girl is," the DJ began, " ... "Katy Shaw"!"

An extremely loud "WHAT!?" was heard coming from the back of the room. Everyone turned round to see "Katy" with her hand over her mouth, walking dazedly across the floor to the stage.

"Hi Katy," the DJ greeted her through a microphone.

"Hello," she said nervously.

"The boy you'll be singing with Katy," Joy informed her, "is ... "Sam Getmall"!"

A loud group of male cheering came from the opposite side of the room. "Sam" appeared with lots of boys slapping his back and urging him on. He walked up onto the stage with his hands in the air and a huge confidant grin on his face.

"Hey Sam," Joy greeted him.

"Hi everybody!" he shouted through the microphone, making everyone standing near the speakers wince.

"Now, about the song selection," Joy began. "There are 5 envelopes, each containing a mixture of songs. Some envelopes have only one song in them, and others can have 2 or 3. But ... who knows?" she finished, holding out the 5 envelopes to the "karaoke couple".

"Four!" the boy called out quickly. Katy shot an annoyed look at him as Joy opened the envelope.

"Uh oh," the DJ told them as he moved back over to his equipment. "I hope your voices are warmed up! Two songs for you!"

"Alright!" Katy screamed.

"Take your places," Joy told them as she handed them the microphone and placed their song lyrics on a stand. Sam held the microphone mainly to himself as the song "You're The One That I Want" started up.

During the song, Ash turned to speak to Misty. "Is it ok for me to say it's funny now?" he asked her.

"Not with this terrible singing!" she replied, referring to Sam's singing ability. They laughed as he began to sing the girls part, making Katy hit Sam up on the stage.

Misty's attention focused on the mini fight that was breaking out on the stage, Ash took, what seemed to him, yet another "guilt-free" look at his best friend. Hair lying just above her slim shoulders ... denim jeans accompanying her flimsy blue shirt ... He swore that she knew the affect she had on him, and therefore dressed to make him suffer in silence.

"_Whereas me ..._ "he thought, looking down at his blue jeans and black shirt, and at the same time reaching up and touching his hat. "_I probably make her suffer with embarrassment!_"Now having turned away from her, he hung his head down in shame and sadness and took the hat off his head.

"Ash?" Misty asked him gently, seeing he had gone into yet another depressed mood. It had been happening a lot lately with him, and she still didn't know the reason why, and not even Brock did. She placed her hands on his shoulders, feeling him jump and tense only slightly beneath her. "Are you ok?"

Up on the stage Katy and Sam had finished singing, the introduction to their next song beginning.Ash willed the pang to go away, smiling falsely as he turned round to look at her. "Why d'you ask?"

"You took your hat off," she said playfully, taking it from his hands. "Missing "old faithful"?"

Ash smiled for real when she again referred to his famous "million-postcard" hat. "My Mom says it'll finally be clean when we get back to Pallet."

"Then what'll happen to the pretender?" she unknowingly flirted with him.

"He'll get put in a box and buried," Ash replied, making them both laugh. They turned back to watching the couple still on the stage, Katy looking obviously annoyed with Sam's lack of talent, Sam feeling the need to say the word "beast" in a deep a voice as possible, making his group of friends laugh.

"That was Katy and Sam, singing 'Beauty and the Beast'!" Joy announced, breaking their conversation. Turning back to the stage, they saw Katy and Sam walk off, both going back to their group of friends in not the best of moods.

"Time for one more I think," Joy decided. The DJ came back onto the stage with the hats and they both dug their hands in.

"Feeling lucky?" Misty asked Ash.

"What are the chances?" he reminded her.

"Right!" Nurse Joy said, raising her hand up in the air. "Our next boy is ... "Ash Ketchum"!"

Misty burst out laughing, whist Ash's mouth dropped open and he immediately began to protest. "It's a fix!" he cried, pointing a finger at Misty.

"You're only saying that," she said laughing, pushing him forward and onto the stage.

"Hi Ash!" Joy said to him through the microphone. She leaned it over to him.

"Hi," he whispered into it, the sweat beginning to show on his face.

"Can you sing?" the DJ asked him, holding a "Girl" name in his hand.

"Not to save his life!" Brock shouted. The crowd laughed, Misty doubling over.

"Very funny," Ash replied sarcastically from the stage. "Who am I going to be singing with?" he asked.

"Your partner is ... " the DJ dragged on, unfolding the paper. "Misty Williams"!"

Misty was silent as the crowd around her clapped. "You did this Brock!" she shouted, turning to look at him. Ash laughed out loud as Brock led her across to the stage.

"This is _so_ fixed!" she declared, playfully hitting Ash to stop him from laughing.

"Calm down Misty," Joy said. "I take it you know Ash?" she asked her.

"You could say that," Misty said nervously.

"Boyfriend?" the DJ asked, grinning at them.

"Boy and friend," Misty replied quietly, briefly remembering all the times she had said that when they had been in the Orange Islands.

"They're practically married!" Brock shouted from the audience.

"BROCK!" they shouted together, the audience getting a huge kick out of it. Brock laughed and took a sip of his non-alcoholic punch.

"Now, pick an envelope," Joy said, laying out the 5 envelops in her hand. The DJ moved back to his equipment, ready to play the songs.

"You pick," Ash said to Misty. Misty flashed a smile at him.

"Such a gentleman, isn't he?" Joy said to the crowd.

"That one," Misty decided, pointing to number "3". Joy held it up.

"You have picked only one song!" Joy announced to them. Ash's face wore a look of relief.

"Cool!" Misty said happily.

"Start the song!" Joy cried, moving offstage, handing Ash the microphone. Both of them moved closer to each other and the lyrics sheet as the song began playing and the audience quietened to hear them.

Ash began to sing first:

_How can I just let you walk away  
__Just let you leave without a trace_

_When I stand here taking every breath with you  
__You're the only one who really knew me at all_

Misty then took her turn:

**How can you just walk away from me  
****When all I can do is watch you leave  
****'Cos we shared the laughter and the pain, and even shared the tears  
****You're the only one who really knew me at all**

**So take a look at me now  
****'Cos there's just an empty space  
****There's nothing left here to remind me  
****Just the memory of your face  
**_**So take a look at me now**   
_**_There's just an empty space  
_**_**And you coming back to me is against the odds  
****And that's what I've gotta face**_

Ash turned to face Misty, looking into her eyes:

_I wish I could just make you turn around  
__Turn around and see me cry  
__There's so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why  
__You're the only one who really knew me at all_

Most of the girls in the crowd blinked back tears looking at them convinced they meant it from their hearts. Misty's fingers on purposely brushed Ash's as they both held onto the microphone:

**_So take a look at me now  
_****_There's just an empty space  
_****_And there's nothing left here to remind me  
_**_**Just the memory of your face**_   
**So take a look at me now  
****So there's just an empty space  
****But to wait for you is all I can do  
****And that's what I've gotta face**

As the song reached its conclusion both sang putting raw emotion in the words, the song matching the goodbye they had shared a few years ago:

**_Take a good look at me now  
_****_'Cos this will be standing here  
_****_And you coming back to me is against all odds  
_****_And that's a chance I've gotta take_**

The whole room was silent after they finished. Brock raised his hands, loudly and slowly beginning to clap. The whole room then erupted into cheers. Ash and Misty both bowed, before being led offstage by Joy. Joy said there would be more later on, and the DJ started up the music again.

"Ash! Misty!" Brock shouted to them, but they couldn't hear, or pretended not to hear.

Ash turned to whisper in her ear. "Outside," Misty made out through the noise. "Surprise," was another word she caught. She nodded in understanding as Ash took her hand and lead her out.

Brock stood and watched them leave, realising he was left babysitting Pikachu and Togepi again. Shooting a quick glance at the two Pokémon over in the corner, he moved off to get some more of that weird yet wonderful punch, and to try and find a girl to kiss at midnight.

"Ash, the snow!" Misty cried out as he tugged at her. Unfortunately for her, she had left her coat back in her room, and was ready to drop to the ground in the freezing cold mountain weather.

"Round here!" he replied through the howling wind. Misty, brimming with curiosity, allowed herself to be pulled quickly round the side of the Pokémon Centre into a small hut at the back. Ash entered and removed his shoes, allowing Misty inside before he shut the door and turned a conveniently placed heater on. There was only a small amount of light and Misty rubbed her hands together furiously as Ash lit a fire in the fireplace. Misty sat down on a rug next to the heater and also removed her shoes.

"Ash, why are we in our lodge?" she asked as the room lit up. Misty glanced around the wooden hut, seeing the closed door leading off to the bedrooms. In the main room they were in, a burning log fire was situated in a stone hearth, as well as there being a small coffee table, an armchair and a sofa.

"It's a surprise," he answered cryptically, turning a radio on in the corner. A soft, slow melody wafted out. "I thought we could see in New Years without a load of screaming noise in our ears." Ash slid across the well-polished floor to her and held out his hand. "Dance with me, charming Lady," he said in a fake deep voice, a huge grin on his face.

Misty, flattered, giggled. "Since when could _you_ dance, oh _dashing_ Sir?" she asked, being pulled up. She was wondering how Ash could keep on surprising her like this.

"Since always," he joked. They both laughed, Misty loosely dangling her arms around his neck, Ash locking his arms behind her back. They swayed together, not paying much attention to the song, just revelling in having the other in their arms.

And this situation wasn't unfamiliar to them. Ever since Misty had become part of his life again Ash had been spoiling her like this, sometimes ending him up in trouble. Misty, in turn, had done similar things for him, allowing them to spend time alone. Nothing had ever come from it, apart from quick thank-you kisses on lips that always left the recipient secretly begging for more.

Past treats had included Misty decorating Ash's house with paper streamers and candles, and the streamers catching fire, nearly incinerating the living room. Ash had once locked Nurse Joy out of the Pokémon Centre, forgetting her whilst he and Misty were having a quiet dinner. And then they had planned something for each other both in the same place. Ash had walked in on Misty painting the same room he had planned to do, but in a totally different colour, and in the end having a paint fight over it.

But both wanted more from their deep friendship. Yet ... it seemed too valuable to them to gamble it for the chance of more, _especially_ if the other didn't feel the same way.

"Have I ever told you how glad I am that you're back?" Ash asked quietly, Misty's head on his shoulder. How good it was to finally be taller than her.

"Not within the last two weeks," she reminded him. She lifted her head back up and smiled.

"Well I'm _so_ glad you're back," he said, looking deep into her eyes.

"You've changed so much Ash," Misty whispered to him, eyes still locked. "I can barely believe it's the same you."

"You mean now you can't look down to me, you have to look up?" he teased. Misty prodded him gently with her fingers.

"Hey," she moaned. "You're not _that_ tall. I _meant_ that ... you've matured. I mean, would you ever have done something like this when we were younger?"

"Would _you_ have?" he replied.

"Suppose not then," she concluded. She leaned her head back down on his shoulder and they continued to dance.

About 10 minutes later they heard a huge cheer of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" from the direction of the Pokémon Centre, the same time the radio began to play "Auld Lang Syne". Ash and Misty, again, both looked into each other's eyes.

"Happy New Year," they both said quietly. Misty leaned forwards and gently closed her eyes. Ash did the same, and their lips met for another "thank-you kiss". Soon afterwards Misty pulled apart, secretly dying to stay where she had been. But Ash, eyes still closed and lost in it all, forgetting himself for a moment, moved back forwards and kissed her lips again, pulling her back to him tightly. Misty couldn't believe what was happening, as his hands slinked their way upwards from her waist to the back of her head.

Ash's mind was on overload, unable to comprehend anything but the girl he was kissing right there and now. At last, he was finally, and properly, kissing Misty. Wait ... Misty!? Realising the line he had just crossed, Ash pulled his lips away from hers quickly, panic on his face. He saw Misty's eyes drift open, searing into his own, dread and guilt filling his heart as he regained his breath. Had he just let his secret out? If Misty realised how he felt about her, that could ruin everything they had with each other. He'd rather live in a closed box than live without their friendship. Ash desperately wanted to speak, to say sorry, to make up something to cover it up. But Misty had him spellbound, and then it hit him. He was _completely_ at her mercy. At that moment, anything she had wanted he would have done. Staring at her, Ash was facing his truth, his destiny.

Misty then did something Ash never expected her to do. Their faces now only scant inches apart from each other, Misty closed her eyes and leaned forwards again. Without needing to think Ash closed his eyes and they kissed yet again, quickly becoming more between them. Ash slinked his hands through her loose hair and the soft strands. Misty, meanwhile, wrapped one arm around his waist, pressing him to her as much as she could. The other hand rested on his cheek, stroking it tenderly.

Misty pushed forward slightly, causing Ash to stumble into the waiting sofa, both of them falling on it. Lying down with Ash underneath, they continued to kiss, hands continuing to roam. Misty removed her flimsy shirt, already too warm from their close proximity. Her hands knocked Ash's "pretender" hat off his head, discarding them both on the sofa. She embedded her hands in his thick black hair. Neither could believe their dreams of this moment were coming true.

Misty broke the kiss, moving her lips over Ash's face. Ash closed his eyes, wanting to wake up from the dream, not believing this was happening. Misty returned her face to above his and murmured his name. "Ash ... "

"Mist ... " he sighed contentedly, opening his eyes to see her above him. She sat upright and indicated he should do the same. He did and she wrapped her legs around him tightly.

"I want you," she whispered into his ear. "God Ash, I've always wanted you ... " she trailed off.

Ash was in disbelief as Misty continued to kiss his face. His best friend, whom he was joking with barely an hour ago, was practically begging him to sleep with her. But he wasn't after a one-night stand, especially not with Misty. It would destroy everything they had, or would have. But what they were doing at the moment, if it meant nothing to her, Ash could never go back to how it was. On impulse, they had gambled everything, and now he had nothing to lose, but everything to gain, by telling her.

"I'm in love with you," Ash spoke into her neck, his feelings overwhelming him as Misty stopped kissing him and kept still. Having finally said it out loud, the adrenaline pumping a mile a minute, he tried to calm himself down. "I love you so much," he admitted, tears gathering in his eyes. He moved to look her dead in the eye, placing his hands on her cheeks. "If this means nothing to you ... then what have we done?" he realised, a tear trickling down his face. "Please say that you love me," he whispered.

Misty was shocked. She had no idea that Ash's feelings for her ran that deep, that keeping them locked up had affected him so much. Tears shimmering in her own eyes, she smiled reassuringly and placed her hands on his cheeks, wiping the tear away, and kissing it away with her lips. "I love you," she said tenderly, placing her forehead to his. "I love you," she repeated. "Ash I love you more than anything. I wouldn't be here like this if I didn't," she whispered. They kissed again, pouring their hearts and souls into it.

Her legs still wrapped round him and her feelings now clear, Ash found the strength to stand upright, Misty placing her arms back round his neck to secure herself. Their lips connected again as Ash made his way to the door that led to the bedroom, managing to get past the furniture without falling on or walking into it. Reaching the door, he fumbled with the handle with one hand, the other holding Misty to him. He finally managed it, the door swinging open. Walking inside, Ash kicked the door shut and placed Misty down on the bed carefully.

She sat up, suddenly feeling nervous, unsure of what to do. Ash saw it and kissed her gently, beginning to remove the strap top that remained on her, Misty running her hands under his t-shirt. Soon they were naked as the day they were born, lying kissing on the bed, hands roaming each other's bodies, becoming one. Whispering words of affection, calling out each other's names, exhaustively murmuring words of love to each other. They lay together under the covers, smiling innocent faces facing each other, arms encircling one another, experiencing dreams of happiness, because finally they were together. There they stayed for the rest of the night, making love and sleeping next to each other ...

Brock awoke early that morning leaning against the wall of the party hall, Pikachu and Togepi in his arms. He shook his head, trying to remember what happened, only encountering an aching head.

"That punch," he croaked. "No way was that _non_ alcoholic." Sighing heavily, he stood up, waking up a sleeping Togepi and Pikachu in the process.

"Pipika?" Pikachu asked Brock.

"Pikachu, I wonder why you're still in here? Ash and Misty should have come back for you, and for me as well," he said. "Well ... we'd better go back to our lodge and see if they're there."

"Toge toge piiiii!" Togepi chirped as they began to walk to the exit doors.

The crisp air outside woke Brock up like a cold shower, allowing him to see straight. Reaching the right number lodge, he opened the door using his key.

"Whoa! Heat wave!" he cried, feeling like he had just opened the door of an oven. "Ash! Misty! You left the heater on!" Brock shut the door and, placing Togepi and Pikachu down, turned the heater off.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked into the quiet. Suddenly a loud bang came from the bedroom, followed by a girl giggling. Brock moved over to open the door, but found it un-openable, a large weight pressed against it.

Brock banged on the door. "Who's in there!?" he demanded.

"Brock, don't come in!" Ash shouted through the door.

"Ash? I heard a girl in there!" Brock called, the realisation hitting him. "Oh man, you scored last night!"

"Brock," Ash warned through the door. "Just leave it, ok?"

"Sorry buddy, didn't want to embarrass you," Brock said, sitting down on the sofa.

Inside the room, Ash glanced across at Misty sitting in the bed, who was practically fitting her fist inside her mouth to keep herself from laughing. "It's not funny!" Ash whispered quietly, picking up the clothes from the floor.

"Sorry!" she managed to get out between laughs, managing to slowly calm herself down. "How am I gonna get out?" she asked when her giggling had stopped.

"The window," Ash said quickly, shoving her clothes into her arms. Ignoring the "no way" look on Misty's face, Ash began to dress her.

"I've got no choice, have I?" she asked despairingly, Ash kissing her quickly.

"Now's not the best time to tell Brock," he appealed to her reason. "We can and should tell him properly ... but not like this." Misty nodded in understanding, kissing Ash again before opening the window and climbing out of it. Shutting it, Ash dug into his clothes drawer and reached out his jeans.

"So, do you know where Misty is!?" Brock called through the closed door.

"She, erm, didn't come back last night," Ash said as he came out through the door, only the pair of jeans on him.

"Hey, what about your girl?" Brock moaned, standing up to go into the bedroom.

"She's gone out through the window," Ash said quickly. Seeing the look on Brock's face, Ash added, "I think she's shy. Plus, she said it was only a one-night thing."

"Pikapi pi pika pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, jumping onto Ash's shoulder. Ash smiled at him, tickling his chin.

"Toge toge?" Togepi said curiously, looking up at Ash. Pikachu, understanding him, looked at Ash. "Toge toge piii togepi!" Togepi finished.

"Pipipi, Pikapi pi pikachu pi Pikachupi!" Pikachu explained whilst shaking his head, jumping down to Togepi and guiding him over to the corner to talk.

"What was _that_ about?" Ash asked, feeling like he had just been judged.

"Hmm ... " Brock pondered, interrupted as Misty walked through the door.

"Hi Misty," Ash said as he tried to act normally, smiling at her as she closed the door.

"Hi guys," she said, looking at Ash.

"And just what did _you_ get up to last night?" Brock asked her. "Ashy here scored!"

"Brock, it's not like it's a competition," Ash said, dropping down on the sofa. He looked up at Misty and smiled again.

"I got asked back to this guy's lodge," Misty said, turning pink whilst moving over to them. Brock's mouth dropped, and Ash pretended to be surprised ... although not very well.

"Not you as well!" Brock complained. "What was he like? Friendly? Charming?"

"He was very much a gentleman," Misty replied. "And quite cute as well," she added.

"You ok then?" Brock asked her with concern. "He wasn't too pushy or anything?"

"Nice to see you're worried about me," Ash moaned jokily.

"I'm fine, don't worry," she reassured him. "Anyway, it wasn't the start of anything. He's left now," Misty lied, pretending to be upset.

"That's a shame," Brock said to try and cheer her up. "For both of you," he added for Ash, assuming he would also be missing the girl he had spent the night with "So I assume I was the only person in this whole area who didn't score last night?" he joked.

"I don't know Brock," Misty answered. "Now, I'm gonna go and get ready for breakfast, I'm famished!" She headed off to the bedroom and the adjoining bathroom.

"Yeah, me too," Ash said, following her. "Go for breakfast in 15 minutes?"

"Sure," Brock said, watching them go into their room. "I feel sorry for you," he added quietly. He leaned back on the sofa trying to loosen his joints, stiff from leaning against a wall all night.

"Pikachu pika?" Pikachu asked Brock, walking out with Togepi.

"It's just ... I thought, no, I was _sure_ that Misty ... " Brock faded off. "But then again ... maybe I was wrong." He sighed again. Settling back, he was nearly comfortable, when he encountered something hard underneath him. He reached for it and pulled up Ash's hat. He smiled, thinking boys will be boys, and wondering when he himself became such an old man.

"Pipika?" Pikachu asked, himself and Togepi hopping on the sofa next to Brock.

"Pikachu, Togepi ... they're all grown up now," Brock sighed. "I at least wanted to meet them." Brock leant back in the sofa again, when he found he was sitting on another item of clothing. "Not again!" he moaned, reaching underneath to remove it. "You'd think at least she would have taken her clothes with her. Or maybe it's a little reminder for Ash," he said cheekily.

"Pi pikachu," Pikachu agreed, nodding whilst grinning. He watched as Brock pulled out a blue shirt, one he had seen many girls wearing last night.

"Toge toge piiiii!" Togepi cried, jumping up and down.

"Pikapi ... pika pika Pikachupi!" Pikachu shouted.

"What's wrong guys?" Brock asked, standing up and holding the item in his hand. "Ash!" Brock called.

"What's up?" Ash asked him as he walked out the room, only having put his black t-shirt on, his hair more messed up than it had been before. Then he noticed, and recognised, the shirt in Brock's hand. "Where did you find that?" Ash murmured.

"It was down the sofa, with _your_ hat," he told him. "Ah, I assume it belongs to _her_?" Brock asked, assuming 'yes' when he saw the look on Ash's face. "Oh, there's a name tag! At least I get to see what the mystery girl's name is!" he said teasingly.

"Brock, don't look at it!" Ash shouted, reaching forward to take it. Brock lifted it out of his reach.

"What's wrong Ash? Don't you want me to see?" Brock dangled it in front of him, placing it in his reach and then flicking it out of range again.

"Brock, please!" Ash begged. "You can't look!"

"What's there to be worried about Ash? It _was_ a girl, wasn't it?" he teased. "Nah, I believe you on that buddy. Why can't I know who it is?" he asked again, turning around and looking at the nametag.

"No!" Ash cried, reaching forward again.

"What's going on?" Misty asked them, standing in the doorway with a dressing gown on and her hair down at her shoulders. Brock and Ash turned around to face her. Misty then saw what Brock was holding. "What are you doing with my shirt?" she asked.

Brock stared at her in disbelief, Ash sighing unbelieving and holding his head in his hands. "_Your_ ... shirt?" Brock stuttered, sharply shifting his gaze to Ash.

"Yes it's _my_ ... " Misty faded off, seeing how Brock was looking at Ash. "Brock?" she asked carefully. He returned his gaze to her.

"Ash, don't tell me it's what I think is," Brock said, turning back to Ash to see him looking down at the floor. "Don't say your stand was with Misty!" he said, raising his voice.

"Brock it wasn't like that," he told him, Misty at the same time walking to stand bedsides him.

Brock sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I don't believe you two," he told them, switching his gaze between both of them. "Do you know how stupid you've both been!?" he shouted.

That struck a nerve in Ash and he fought back, stepping closer to Brock. "So in your eyes it's alright for us to screw any person we meet at a party, but we can't-"

"_Don't say anymore_," he said in a loud, tensed tone. "Outside man, we need to talk," he said, heading towards the door.

"Let me grab a jacket," Ash told him, watching Brock slam the door as he left.

"Ash, don't do anything stupid," Misty warned him, watching him head into the bedroom and grab a black jumper and his trainers before walking back to her.

"He thinks we were drunk or something," Ash said to her, putting his jumper on and then reaching out and mixing her fingers with his own. "Don't worry," he reassured her, kissing her lips gently.

"You boys," she joked lightly. Ash smiled weakly at her, untangling his fingers before heading out the door and closing it behind him. Misty looked at Pikachu nervously before going and getting dressed.

"Brock, what is this-" Ash asked him outside, being cut off by Brock grabbing him by the collar of his jumper and pinning him roughly against the wall.

"If you're just messing around with her I _swear_ you will regret it," Brock warned him loudly and dangerously.

"What's wrong with you!?" Ash shouted, shaking himself free.

"You used Misty's feelings for you!" Brock accused. "She had feelings for you Ash ... and you just used her!"

"What!?" Ash cried. "I'd never do that! Have you forgotten that Misty's my friend!?"

"Well she's like a sister to me!" Brock shouted back. "And you're like a brother," he said quieter, not wanting to attract any more attention than they were getting from the nearby lodges.

"Brock, if you're thinking I forced her into anything, _I didn't_," Ash said. "We came back here, we danced, talked a little, listened to the radio. Then when midnight came we kissed, innocently, and then ... it just happened!"

"It just happened," Brock said in disbelief, shaking his head.

"It did, and why can't you accept that? What is your problem?" Ash asked him.

"My problem? You two are the one with the problem!" Brock told him. "Do you have any idea what you've done to your friendship? You'll never have that again with her. Everything you do will be together, as a team. And if you break up, to hell with "staying friends"!"

"I know all of that!" Ash paused before continuing. "You think I was drunk or something, don't you? Just looking for a little fun, and not caring about anything else! You're wrong! I would have stopped kissing her, I wouldn't have gone as far as we did if she or I didn't feel anything for each other!" Ash justified.

"Ash-" Brock began, but Ash cut him in.

"No, listen to me! _I love Misty_! I love her! And she loves me! We made love last night, sober, and it wasn't because I forced her into it! It was because we loved each other! And I'm not gonna do anything to hurt her! I couldn't ... " Ash faded off, his emotions taking over.

"Ok, I believe you," Brock said in a softer tone, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Just don't be messing around with her, she doesn't deserve that," Brock told him.

"I know how lucky I am, don't worry," he smiled at him. "Shall we go and tell Misty not to phone an ambulance?"

"If I'd have hit you you'd need more than a paramedic," Brock warned playfully. "Come on," he said, letting Ash go inside first.

As soon as they were through the door Misty, now dressed and sitting nervously on the sofa, jumped up and moved over to Brock. "Before you think it he didn't take advantage of me," she told him, ready for a fight if it was needed.

"It's ok, we've sorted it out," Ash told her. She sighed in relief and hugged him.

"Please say you're ok with this, it would mean so much to me," Misty asked Brock, separating from Ash and taking his hand.

"I'm fine with it," Brock told her. "I'm really happy for you. I mean, you're finally together!"

"Then why were you so mad?" she asked.

"I thought at least _I_ wouldn't be here when ... _that_ happened," he told her. "Now, who's hungry?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Me!" Ash and Misty both shouted, Misty then moving to pick up Togepi, Pikachu jumping on Ash's shoulder. Ash led her out by her hand, Brock going out last and shutting the door.

_'This'll be one hell of a ride ... ' _he thought.

END PART ONE

Okidoki kids! For those just beginning to read this, I have re-uploaded the entire fic, replacing the old title with the new one!


	2. Consequences beginning to show

Disclaimer: Pokémon, getto daze!  That's what I'd say to my lawers if I had a _lot_ of money ... which I don't ... 

Ok, again, chapter two has been re-uploaded.  Nothing has been changed from chapter one, except, obviously, the title.  From "A Year in the Life of AAML" to:

How Much Can Happen In A Year?

Four months later, after travelling back to Pallet Town from Johto, all three of them were sitting in the Ketchum residence at Pallet Town.  And why did travelling a small distance like that take such a long time?  The well-known and rare "Snowflake Cup" took place in Snowela in February, a strange 3-on-3 trainer battle tournament.  Misty and Ash had, after much persuasion, had talked Brock into taking part, and they all three competed, managing to finish in second place.  But their teamwork victory hadn't managed to change the situation that had remained since New Years.

Ever since "that night", Brock had been reluctant to leave Ash and Misty alone for too long, although he had granted them some privacy, usually no longer than 30 minutes at a time though.  His butting in on them hadn't been well received, but he knew he was doing what a chaperone would do in his situation.  But then again, if he left them to themselves, they'd never get up in the morning.

Right now they were sitting inside on a sunny April afternoon, watching, or in Brock's case _pretending_ to watch, a romance film.  Misty and Ash monopolised the sofa, lying down, Misty in front of Ash, their fingers intertwined.  Ash would often sneak glances down at her, both kissing briefly when the movie got particularly soppy.  Pikachu and Togepi weren't there with them, Mrs Ketchum and Mimey taking them out with them to do some shopping.

The film was called "Me, Myself and Eevee", and was about two best friends, both Eevee trainers, who were in love with each other, as well as their Eevee's being in love with each other.  Misty chose it, thinking it was a lot like her and Ash.  The whole movie followed their friendship over a year, observing their pain over watching the other person date someone else, while the Pokémon tried to get their trainers together.  Brock could already tell what would happen.  They would have a major fallout, followed by a secret confession to already knowing friends and Pokémon, resulting in them meeting up at the end of the movie, kissing, etcetera, etcetera ...  Totally boring to Brock.  

About an hour into the movie Misty left the room, saying she needed to 'powder her nose'.  Brock took the time to glance up from his "Breeders Digest" and indulge in a little human conversation.

"How can you watch this?" Brock asked him, glancing at the screen.  The main couple were laughing with each other, throwing pained glances when the other looked the other way.  Trashy and corny ... he wondered why Misty loved it so much.

"I'll let you in on a secret Brock," Ash told him, making sure Misty wasn't insight before continuing.  "I have no idea what's going on."

"So, you're watching a movie for no reason?" Brock half asked, half stated.

"I get to spend time with Misty," Ash replied.  "There's a reason for ya," he finished as Misty returned and they resumed their previous seating arrangement.

Brock sat and wondered if Ash didn't have a hidden meaning to his words.  _Get to spend time ..._ Brock had to admit that he had been smothering them, but he wasn't comfortable with the idea of the two of them ... having sex.  His two best friends didn't even bear thinking about.  But then again, that would have happened sooner or later, making Brock realise that he wasn't being fair on them.

He put down his magazine and stood up.  Ash looked over to him.  "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Tracey asked me if I wanted to help him up at the lab today," he replied, walking over to the door.  "I'll be back at about 5, and your Mom won't be home until 6," Brock told them, smiling.

Ash caught on what he was allowing them and smiled.  "Thanks buddy," he said.

"See ya later, and have fun," he added as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

"Bye Brock!" Misty called.  "Well what made him change _his_ tune?" She asked, turning in to face Ash.  "He's been mothering us ever since Snowela, why stop now?"  

"I think he was worried Mist," Ash said.  "I mean, _we_ happened suddenly and he's like a second mother, so he panicked.  But I think he's realised we're serious," he told her, kissing her.  His free hand travelled down her side, resting on her hip.  Ash broke the kiss and turned his attention on her neck.

"Ash ... " she sighed, removing his hat so she could play around with his hair.  The hat dropped to the floor, along with her hair bobble, Ash having pulled it out so he could play with her hair.

"We've got 3 hours alone," Ash whispered to her, "for the first time in how many months?  Four?  I think the damn TV can wait, don't you?" he asked, kissing her nose.  "It's not like you don't know what'll happen at the end."

"Yeah ... " she mumbled, kissing him, the film already long forgotten.  Misty managed to stand up, taking Ash's hand and leading him to his room, to be together for the second time in weeks ... 

*~*

"We're back," Delia called walking in, Mr Mime stumbling through the front door with hands full of shopping bags.  Pikachu followed behind them, carrying a sleeping Togepi on his back.  Delia, after Mr Mime had put the bags down, shut the door, took her coat off and hung it on one of the coat pegs.  Togepi woke up and Pikachu put him down, treading carefully to not make him wail.

"Anyone home?" Delia asked, then noticing the television was on.  She walked over and turned it off.

"Pika pi pikachu," Pikachu said as Mr Mime dashed into the kitchen to make some tea.

"They should turn the TV off if they go out," Delia said to the Pokémon as she turned back round.  "Electricity isn't-" she cut off, noticing something lying on the floor.  She bent down and picked it up.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, looking up to see.

"It's Ash's hat," Delia said.  "And a bobble as well," she added, picking it up.  "Misty's bobble.  Hmm ... Ash?  Misty?" she asked again, heading towards the stairs.  

"Toge toge?" Togepi asked, looking at Pikachu.  Pikachu's eyes almost fell out of his head, realising where Ash and Misty were and what they would be doing.

"Pi ka chu!" Pikachu shouted out, chasing after Mrs Ketchum, who was now at the top of the stairs.  

"Ash?" she whispered, opening the door to his room.

"Pikapi," Pikachu murmured, watching.  Ash's Mom would no doubt flip, and who'd blame her?  Finding your 17-year-old son in bed with his 17-year-old best friend was not something you did everyday.  They hadn't told her outright they were a couple, only holding hands or kissing when she wasn't in the room.  But, judging by her conversation topic all day, she had a very good idea that they _at least_ had a crush on each other.

"Oh!" Delia exclaimed, observing a standing, and fully clothed, Ash and Misty sharing a kiss, Ash's arms wrapped round Misty's waist, her hands locked in his hair.  When they noticed they had an audience they ripped apart.

"Mom!  Haven't you heard of knocking?" Ash moaned, his cheeks flaring.

"Haven't _you_ heard of turning the TV off?" she replied sternly, her frown quickly melting into a wide smile.  "My little boy!" she cried, moving and clutching him against her.  "You're growing up so fast!"

"Mom!" he shouted, muffled against her chest.  Gasping, he managed to free himself.  "Don't do that!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu called, laughing in fits.  Ash shot him a look.

"Misty," Delia said seriously, turning to her.  Misty didn't know what to expect.

"Mrs Ketchum I-" she began before she was interrupted.

"I'm so glad it's you!" she exclaimed, pulling her into a gentle hug.  Misty, surprised, returned it, smiling at Ash who was staring at them funnily.  "At least I know you'll treat Ash alright!"

"Always Mrs Ketchum," Misty assured her, their hug separating.

"Please, call me Delia!" she insisted.  Heading towards the door she stopped and turned around.  "Now, dinner will be ready in about an hour.  Where's Brock?" she asked them.

"He went up to Oak's," Misty said.  "We'll go fetch him."

"Have fun!" Delia said as she headed down the stairs, Pikachu glancing back before following her.

Finally gone, Ash closed the door and leaned against it, sighing in relief.  "That was too close," he said.  Misty moved over to him and hugged against him.  Ash wrapped his arms around her.

"She was back early," Misty whispered.  "Nearly _2 hours_ early.  10 minutes earlier and she would have walked in on us!"

"Hey, but she didn't, so no point dwelling over it," he concluded, kissing the top of her head.

"Still, it's hard not to think of what she would have said," Misty murmured, chuckling at the thought.

"She would have skinned me," Ash informed her.  "But that would be after she had screamed her head off," he joked.

Misty sighed against him, lifting her head up.  "We'd better go and get Brock," she said.  

"All right," Ash agreed, kissing her.  They broke apart and Ash took her hand, leading the way.

*~*

"Wow, what's the occasion?" Brock asked, sitting down at the food-laden table.  Ash and Misty sat next to each other, Delia and, after an inviting phone call, Professor Oak at the opposite ends of the table, and Tracey next to Brock.  Pikachu and Togepi sat at a miniature table to the side of them, their table full of Pokémon food provided by Brock.   

"We're celebrating!" Delia cheerfully announced, glancing at Ash and Misty.

"I don't think we're gonna like this," Ash whispered to Misty, making her smile slightly.

"What are we celebrating?" Tracey asked, staring hungrily at the food.

"My little boy's got a girlfriend!" she announced happily, Tracey choking on his water. Ash hid himself behind his hands, blushing.  Misty looked down at her feet under the table.

"Ash has a _girlfriend_!?" Tracey shouted after he finished coughing.  "Nice one buddy!"

"Good for you Ash," Oak congratulated.  "And who is she?"

"Mom, don't ... " Ash warned her, throwing a glance at Misty.  

"Ok Ash," his mother conceded.  "I know!  I'll give you a clue," Delia said, thinking what to say before Ash stopped her.  "Erm ... she's sitting in this room right now."

"Mom!  How many other girls are in this room!?" Ash cried despairingly.

"_Misty_!?" Tracey shouted out, switching his gaze from one to the other.  "You mean it's taken you six years to finally listen to me?" he asked them.

"Six years?" Brock asked, working it out to be when he wasn't with them, when they were in the Orange Islands.  "Tracey, you've got some stories to tell me."

"Tracey don't tell him _anything_," Misty warned.

"Mom, can we just eat now?" Ash asked, feeling his stomach growl.

"Sure, tuck in!" she said, as everyone attacked the food.

They ate the meal without talking, Ash and Misty glancing at each other periodically.  When they were finished, Delia collected the plates up, to the protests of everyone, and took them into the kitchen, bringing out a huge chocolate gateau for desert.

"Wow!" they all exclaimed as she set it down on the table.  Everyone stared at it with drooling mouths, apart from Misty, who turned white.

"Misty, are you alright?" Delia asked, noticing her colour change.

"I don't think I can eat anymore," she murmured, placing her hand over her mouth.  

"Ash, why don't you take her into the other room?" Brock suggested.  "She doesn't look good."

"Yeah," Ash agreed, standing up and easing her up as well.  He led her into the lounge with his arms around her and placed her lying down on the sofa.  

"Thanks," Misty murmured as Ash placed a nearby throw on her.

"Shhh," he hushed, kneeling on the floor near her head.  He raised a hand to her head and brushed some of her hair away, stroking her cheek tenderly.  

"I'll be alright," she reassured him, throwing a smile.

"I'm worried," he confessed.  "I mean, we made love today and then you get ill ...  I just hope I didn't hurt you," he whispered.

"You didn't," she said, moving her hand to grasp the one caressing her face.  "Trust me.  Don't worry."

"Ok," he murmured, kissing her lips gently.  "Just relax, go to sleep, and I'll take you up to bed in a while, ok?" he asked her.

"Go have your cake," she ordered quietly.  He raised his hand in a mock salute before kissing her again and going back into the kitchen.  

Hearing the concerned murmurs coming from the kitchen, Misty smiled and sighed, turning so she could see the TV, although it was switched off.  She lay and wondered what was wrong.

_"You probably ate something funny,"_ a thought said in her head.  

_"But what if Ash's right?  What if he _did_ hurt you?"_ a different thought added.

Misty stared ahead of her, wondering if that was it.  But if Ash had hurt her, wouldn't she have felt pain?

_"Nothing like this happened last time,"_ the "friendly" thought countered.

Misty nodded her head.  The first time she had felt a little sore, but not sick.

_"Maybe it's a disease,"_ the "bad" thought sneered.  _"It's not like you used a condom, is it?"_

Misty was confused for a moment.  They _had_ used a condom earlier on ...  Then a realisation hit her.

Snowela!  They were so swept up in the moment ... they forgot!

"Oh god," Misty said out loud.  She then panicked, wondering what she had, if Ash had given her anything.  But a voice inside stopped her.

_"How can you think of Ash doing that!?"_ a voice, her conscience, screamed inside.  _"He hasn't been with anyone but you!  If it was inherited, Delia would have known and Ash would have said!"_

Misty sat up quickly, closing her eyes tightly as a wave of nausea crashed over her.  She stood up and quietly and quickly went upstairs to the bathroom.  

From the kitchen, Ash saw her go up the stairs.  Concerned, he stood up.

"Ash?" Delia asked, concerned.

"I'm going to Misty," he said quickly, walking out the room and heading up the stairs.

In the bathroom, Ash found Misty with her head over the toilet, regurgitating her meal.  Suddenly extremely concerned, Ash bent down besides her and stroked her back gently, comforting her.  

"Misty ... " he sighed.  When she had finished and flushed the toilet handle, Ash pulled her to him, not caring about getting his clothes dirty.

"Oh God Ash," she said into his clothes, beginning to sob.  Ash placed his arms tightly round her and rocked the pair of them to and fro.

When she had stopped crying, Ash handed her a towel and used another one to help her clean herself up.  "There, that's better," he said when they had finished.

"Ash," Misty began, taking his hand firmly in her own.  "I need to see a doctor."

"Doctor?  Misty, how bad is it?" Ash said worriedly.

"I don't know if anything's bad," she said.  "But I wanna make sure."

"This is today, isn't it?" Ash said.  "I've ripped or torn or broken-" he began listing, before she cut him off.

"No!" she shouted a little more harshly than she would have liked.  "It's just ... I might need medicine.  I think it's just a bug," she lied reassuringly.

"Well, its Sunday tomorrow," Ash told her.  "So you won't be able to get in until Monday, or even Tuesday."

"Well, Doctor Ketchum will have to look after me tomorrow, won't he?" Misty played with him.

"I think he's available now," he teased, standing up and picking her up in his arms.  "Whoa, you gotten heavier?"

"Don't push it," Misty said as he carried her to his room, placing her on the bed.

"Now sleep," Ash ordered, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"By myself?" she asked innocently, pulling a "puppy-dog" face.  

"Alright," he sighed, lying down next to her.  Her back to him, he placed his arms around her waist.  "But I heard doctors can't fraternise with their patients," Ash told her.

"I'm not a patient, I'm a nurse," Misty said, her eyes closed.

"Not now, sick girl."

"Night Ash," Misty sighed, drifting off to sleep.

Ash's original plan was to leave her there to sleep, but he found his eyes drifting shut as well.  "Night," he whispered as he fell asleep next to her.

*~*

END PART TWO

Ooooh ... what's wrong with Misty?

Skip along to part 3 and find out!


	3. Life changing situation

Disclaimer: I hereby do proclaim my disclaim of the claim of me owning Pokémon.  XD

Erm ... Ok, you will notice the title change if you think I've quickly made a new fic.  This _was_ formerly known as "A Year in the Life of AAML", but is now known as:

How Much Can Happen In A Year?

Misty sat on the bed, legs tucked up under her chin, rocking herself backwards and forwards.  The tears had run their course down her face, collecting and dripping off under her chin.  How could so much go wrong in only one day?

... ... ... 

"Good morning," Ash greeted as Misty opened her sleepy eyes.  

"Hi," Misty whispered out.  Wishing she were still asleep, she closed her eyes and tried to settle back down.

"Hey, no sleeping," Ash said, waking her up.  He kissed her forehead.

"I wanna sleep," Misty moaned.

"I wanna make sure you're ok," he said, separating from her and standing up.

"I'm fine," Misty said, sitting up in the bed.  

"You sure?" Ash asked concerned, holding onto her free hand and helping her crawl across the bed and stand up.

"Yes," she reassured him, kissing him.  Pulling away, she looked down at the clothes they were wearing.  "I think we need to get changed."

"And I need the bathroom," Ash said, pulling away.  "Be right back."  He closed the door as she got changed.

After breakfast, Ash and Misty sat together on the sofa watching the television.  Brock was sat in the armchair, reading the brand new edition of "Breeders Digest".  Professor Oak and Tracey, had last night nabbed Pikachu and Togepi to study at the lab, leaving Ash and Misty free to "smooch" as Misty put it.  It was a complete mirror of yesterday afternoon, except this time it was 10 in the morning, and they were watching the famous soap opera, "Peanuts, Poké balls and Pokémon".  

"Come on!" Misty shouted, riveted on the complicated plot line.  "Tell her!"  She leaned forwards on the sofa.

"Tell her what?" Brock asked, disturbed from his article about the controversial Day Care Breeding Scandal.

"Are you blind!?" Misty almost screamed at him.  "Molly's Mantine is in love with Martin's Mantine, but they can't see it!  What makes it worse is that Molly's gonna marry Mark because she loves him and at the same time his Mantine likes her Mantine, while Mark is gay and just happens to be falling in love with Martin!  And after all that, Martin is secretly Molly's cousin, but _they_ don't know that, and Martin is in love with Molly!  Classic love triangle!" 

"Huh?" Brock asked, not having clearly heard one word Misty had said at break-neck speed.

"ARE YOU NOT LISTENING!?" Misty screamed, standing up and glaring menacingly at Brock.  Ash simply looked at her in disbelief, not sure what to do.

"Misty, calm down," Brock tried to assure her.

"Calm down?  You didn't listen to a word I said!"  Ash stood up behind her.  

"Misty," he said as he placed his hands on her arms, "I _do_ think you need to calm down."

Misty, extremely angry, turned round to face Ash.  Ash gulped nervously, not sure what she would do to him.  Then she did the last thing he expected.  She burst out crying.

"What's going on?" Delia asked, disturbed from her gardening by all the shouting.  Seeing Misty crying, she pushed her way past a now standing Brock and pulled her to her, hugging her.

"Misty?" Ash asked cautiously.

"Not now Ash," Delia said.  "I don't know what you did or said, but she is obviously distraught."  Having said that, she led Misty upstairs.

"But ... I didn't do anything!" he moaned, turning to Brock.  "Neither of us did."

"Ash, it's hormones," Brock said, picking up the article again.  "All girls go through this.  Just sit down and let your mother calm her down."

"Ok," Ash reluctantly agreed.  He sat back down and continued watching the TV, Misty still on his mind.

"Come on dear, you can tell me what's wrong," Delia comforted, sitting on her bed and rocking a still crying Misty.  "Did Ash do something to upset you?"

"That's just it," Misty said sadly.  "They didn't do anything.  I just ... shouted for no reason, and then started crying."  She sat up and wiped her eyes.  "It was weird.  I went from being angry to devastated in a few seconds."

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were having mood swings," Delia said, taking her hand in her own.  "If you don't mind me asking, is it "that time of the month"?"

Misty smiled at her, but shook her head.  "No," she said.  "Actually ... I haven't been that regular recently."

"Oh?" Delia asked.  

Misty, slightly embarrassed, looked down at her fingers.  "The last one was about 3 months ago.  Before that, the last one was ... I think a week or so before Christmas."

"That doesn't sound right," Delia said, raising her free hand to Misty's forehead.  "I hope you're not sick."

"Well, I was last night," she told her.

"Misty dear, you need to see the doctor," Delia said.  "I'll call her right now, I've got her home number."

"Delia, I don't want you to go to all that trouble," Misty said as she picked up the phone.

"She's a friend," Delia told her, smiling.  "And if I offer her some homemade cake, she'll be over in a jiffy."  Misty just looked on and smiled as she began dialling and talking on the phone.

"Hmmmmm," she said, flicking the pen between her fingers.

"What?" Misty asked, sitting up and looking at Doctor Mary Wilson, who was examining her in Delia's bedroom.

"Well, your stomach area is slightly swollen," she informed her.  "You said you've been sick, Delia said you were a little emotional this morning ... " she faded off, reaching into her bag and taking out a beaker.

"Well?  Am I sick?" Misty asked worriedly.

"I don't think so," the doctor said, handing her the beaker.  "But I want to be sure.  Can you fill me up a sample please?"

"Uh," Misty hesitated, standing up.  "Ok."

"Just turn the tap on if you have trouble," she said cheerily, picking up a tube of liquid out of her bag.

Misty came back in 5 minutes later, holding the beaker of urine out to the doctor.  "Is that ok?" she asked.

"It's fine," she replied, taking it off of her.  She opened the tube and poured some of the liquid from it into the beaker.  Closing the tube, she swirled the mixture round.

"What are you looking for?" Misty asked sitting down next to her, confused.

"A colour change," she replied.  

"What colour?" Misty asked, worried that her life was on the line, as the mixture began to change.

"Well, before I say, can you answer me one question?" she asked turning to look at a nodding Misty.  "Have you had sexual relations with anyone in the last, say ... few months?"

"Yes, at New Years ... " Misty faded off.  "I've caught something, haven't I?" she asked.

"Not a disease, no," she said.  The liquid was now a blue colour and Mary held it out to her.

"Well, what does this mean?" Misty panicked, looking at the blue substance.  "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ with you Misty ... You're pregnant."

Misty felt like a train had just hit her.  She was speechless and felt numb.  "Pre ... pregnant?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," the doctor said, placing a reassuring arm around her shoulder.  "And if it was conceived at New Years, then the foetus will be about four months old now."

"I'm gonna have a baby?" Misty whispered in disbelief, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Do you want me to call anyone?" Mary asked.  "Your parents?"

"My parents are dead," Misty told her.  "I've got three sisters in Cerulean, but ... don't call them.  They wouldn't understand."

"Ok.  Then ... how about the father?  It's best that we contact him, so we can make sure the baby is alright," she said.  "Delia mentioned you had just begun seeing Ash, so I assume that it's someone else?"

"No," Misty said, shaking her head.  "Ash is the father."

At that, Doctor Wilson sighed and shook her head in disbelief.  "Who'd have thought it?  Little Ashy being a father at his age.  I can still remember him at four years old, running around with Gary Oak and playing with the Pokémon."  She smiled to herself.

"Oh, Delia," Misty thought out loud, removing the hand from her stomach and placing it over her mouth.  "What will she say?  She's gonna hate me so much," Misty gasped.

"Hey," Mary said, seeing the tears in her eyes.  "Delia will only love you more.  She's like that.  Explain things to her, and she'll understand."

"Brock never really understood why we did it, so why should she?"

"Because Delia loves kids, and now she's gonna be a grandma," she said, separating from Misty and placing her things back in her bag, putting a lid on the urine sample.  "Now, I'll arrange for an ultrasound scan at the clinic on Thursday.  2 o'clock okay for you?"

"Yeah," Misty said, standing up.  

"Good luck," Mary offered as she went out the door and downstairs to Delia's cake.  Misty followed in a slight daze, taking her time to look at all the pictures on the walls of the stairs.  

Pictures of Delia when she was a small child ...  Pictures of Delia and a man looking like Ash when they were both young ... Pictures of Delia, that man, whom she assumed to be Ash's father, and a baby Ash, all smiling ...  Pictures of Delia and Ash going up through the years ...  A picture of a toasted Ash with Pikachu in his arms, outside Prof. Oak's lab ...  A picture of all of them, taken at the Indigo League Stadium ... And a more recent one taken at the Hoenn League Finals.  Ash, Brock, a girl and a young boy stood besides him, Ash holding the 2nd place trophy.

_"Ash looks so young ... carefree ... "_ Misty thought to herself as she stared at the Indigo League picture, herself standing next to a forcefully-smiling Ash.  _"And me ... I was happy, excited, and mad about a wannabe master ... "_  

"Now you'll never be a master," she whispered out loud, her gaze flicking back to the Hoenn League picture.  "And you were so close ... "

"Misty?" a voice asked quietly, making her flinch.  She turned to see Brock at the top of the stairs.  "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she lied, putting on a fake smile.  "Doctor Wilson is finished with me now.  She's in the kitchen eating all the cake."

"What did she say?" he asked, walking down to join her.  Together they both reached the bottom and moved to sit on the sofa in the lounge.

"I'm not sick," Misty told him.

"So what then?" he asked, nervously.

"I ... I wanna talk to Ash first," she said, turning to look at him.  "I wanna tell you Brock, but-"

"No, it's okay," Brock told her.  "I understand."  He picked up her hand in his and squeezed it.  "Just tell me if it's serious."

Misty thought before answering.  "No," she said, squeezing it back.  "It's not serious."

Brock smiled and let go of her hand, standing up.  "I'm gonna go grab some cake.  You want any?" he asked her.

"I'm not hungry.  Actually, I'm gonna go for a walk," Misty said, standing up herself and heading to the front door.  "But save me a slice!" she called as she shut the door behind her.

Now outside, Misty breathed a huge sigh, as she set off along the road.  Pregnant ... it still didn't seem real.  They were both 17, their whole lives ahead of them, years and years to start a family ... But no.  Life had to push yet another surprise onto Misty Williams, and she had to, again, deal with it.  As she walked along the road to Professor Oak's lab, her mind wandered to her parents ... 

She had been five years old when they had died.  One night in March, Officer Jenny had woken up the four Williams sisters in the middle of the night.  She had sat all of them down in the kitchen, and told them how there had been an accident between Celadon and Saffron Cities, a huge pile-up on the main road.  Her parents had been caught in it, and had died.  Misty still remembered the tears, the hugs, the relentless crying for their parents to come back to them.  Then there had been the funeral, and afterwards, the Pokémon League to deal with.  Who would run the Gym?  After backing from Nurse Joy, the four sisters had managed to keep the Gym, but Misty couldn't stand her sisters snobby attitude that "now they were Gym Leaders they could do whatever they wanted".  That's why she had run away when she was 10.  That's how she had met Ash ... 

"Hey," another voice said in front of her on the road.  She looked up, not realising she had been staring down at the road, into the eyes of Ash.

"I was just coming to see you," she replied.  "I need to talk to you."

"Has the doctor finished?" Ash asked her.  Receiving a nod, he continued.  "Well what did she say?  Are you sick?"

"I'm not sick," she said.  Relieved, Ash pulled her into a hug, both wrapping their arms around each other.  

"That's great!"  They separated and held each other's hand, heading back the short distance to Ash's house.

"But ... there is something else," Misty told him after a while.  She stopped speaking, not knowing how to break the news to him.

"What is it?" Ash asked again, turning his head to look at her. 

"She said I had a swollen stomach, mood swings, sickness," Misty listed to him.  "She took a urine sample and she tested it with a chemical."

"Tested it for what?" Ash asked as they stopped outside his house.  His adrenaline level had been rising and he was wishing she would get it over with and tell him what was wrong.  

Misty let go of his hand.  "Before I say, Ash this isn't your fault," she said quickly.

"What isn't my fault?  Misty, just tell me!" he said loudly, the tension getting to him.  "Are you sick or not!?"

"I'm _pregnant_!" she shouted at him.  Relief at telling him turned to worry when his face turned neutral and blank.

"W ... what?" he whispered.  

"I'm ... pregnant," Misty repeated quietly.  She waited for a reply, hearing only silence from Ash.  "Ash?" she asked cautiously.

"I ... I gotta ... go," he said shakily, turning away from her and walking off down the road in the opposite direction they had just come from.

"Ash!" Misty called, unable to move.  Instead the tears gathered in her eyes as she watched him walk away.  "ASH!"  As he began to run so did she, inside the house and up the stairs, flopping down on her bed and crying her eyes out.  

She heard footsteps come up the stairs, so she quickly locked the door.  Seconds later, she heard a knocking.  "Misty?" a voice ventured.

"Delia, leave me alone, please," Misty asked her. 

"Is this to do with Doctor Wilson?" Delia asked her.

"She told you!?" Misty shouted, not believing she broke so-called "doctor-patient confidentiality".  

"She said nothing, she's not allowed to," Delia told her.  "Anyway, she's gone now, on an emergency.  Dear, let me in."

"Just ... let me be alone," Misty said.  

"Misty-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed.  Delia, knowing when someone meant it, went back downstairs, probably to talk to Brock.  Feeling guilt for shouting at the person who was just like a mother to her, Misty flopped her head onto her pillow, crying her heart out.

... ... ... 

It had been about 30 minutes since Delia had gone downstairs, when Misty heard more footsteps on the stairs.  She pushed herself into a sitting position from lying down face in her pillow, when another knock came on the door.  "Misty?"

"Brock," Misty choked out.  "I wanna be alone."

"And I wanna see if you're alright," he argued gently.  "Please Misty, let me in."

Misty thought about it, before standing up and opening the door.  As soon as she saw Brock she fell against him, the tears pouring out again.  "Oh Brock!" she cried out.  

"Shhh," he comforted, putting his arms round her and rubbing her back gently.  "Calm down."

"Ash," she sobbed into him.  "He just ... just ... "

"What happened?" Brock asked her, leading her to sit down on the bed.  He left his arm rubbing her back, as Misty tried to calm down.

"I'm ... I'm pregnant, Brock," she told him quietly.  "I'm sorry!"

"Oh no ... " he sighed in disbelief.  "I can't believe this," he said quietly.  He stood up and began pacing across the room, hand rubbing his head.

"I'm 17, I'm having a baby, and I'm gonna have to do this by myself," Misty murmured mainly to herself.  

Brock turned to look at her.  "What?"

"Ash ... ran.  I told him, and ... he just left me!"  Misty began to cry again and looked up to Brock, seeing anger in his eyes.

"The hell is he running away from this," he mumbled as he marched out the room.  Misty stood up and followed him, unable to keep up with him as he rushed down the stairs and out the door.

"Brock!" Misty shouted, too late as he had ran off down the street.

"What was that about?" Delia asked as Misty turned around to face her, wiping the tears away quickly.

"Delia ... everything's gone wrong," Misty told her.  Delia held her arms out and Misty walked into them.

"You're over-reacting," Delia told her.  "Everything will sort itself out.  Ash is just shocked, that's all.  It's not everyday you find out you're going to be a Daddy."

Misty pulled away a little to look at her.  "How did you know?"

"I'm a mother," she told her.  "And at one point I trained to be a Midwife.  Bet you didn't know that, did you?"  

Misty shook her head.  "You're not angry?  Upset?"

"I'm angry you let me thing that the two of you were a recent thing," Delia told her lightly.  "But," she continued, placing a hand on Misty's small bump, "I'm gonna be a Grandma.  How can I be angry and upset at that?"  She smiled, making Misty smile.  

"I'm sorry.  It's just that we didn't know how you'd react," Misty apologised.

"None of that matters now," Delia told her.  "I'm more worried what Brock will do when he finds Ash."

"Brock's protective.  After he found out about me and Ash, he warned him not to mess me around."

"Well, he does have a large family.  Protectiveness must come second nature to him."  Delia let go of Misty.  "Now young lady, we have some things to discuss."

Catching on to what she was implying, Misty smiled.  "From the beginning?"

"Yes, but also what to expect from now on.  This won't be easy," Delia warned.  She led Misty into the kitchen to begin their talk.

_Splash ... Plop ... Splash ... Plop ... Plop ... Splash ..._

Ash sighed, tired of throwing the stones, and dropped down onto the dirt ground.  Now it was 2 o'clock and having missed lunch, his stomach rumbled.  He ignored it though, having more important things on his mind.  Pregnant ... He had gotten Misty pregnant.  When she had told him, he had felt like he had failed her.  They had all the time in the world to begin a family, but why now?  They were young ... too young ... 

He sighed again, and looked out at the river.  Despite his predicament, he smiled as he sat at the exact same spot he had met Misty all those years ago ... 

_'Nah, it's just a kid.  Oh, and a Pokémon!  Awww, are you ok?"_

_The young kid was touched that the girl was that worried about him.  Smiling, he replied.  "I'm alright."_

_The girl turned angry quickly.  "Not you!"  Then, just as fast, she became concerned about the creature in the boy's arms.  "Is it breathing?"_

_The boy turned his attention back to the Pokémon in his arms, a Pikachu.  "I think so."_

_"Don't just stand there!" the girl screamed, having turned angry again.  "You need to get it to a hospital!"_

_"Hospital?" the boy asked, confused._

_"Yes, for Pokémon!  There's a medical centre not far from here."_

_Then a cry of angry Pokémon filled the air.  The boy was filled with dread and fear, knowing they were chasing him because of his earlier mistake.  "They're coming back!  Run!"  He jumped up and ran over to a nearby bike.  He put the Pikachu in the front basket and jumped on the bike._

_"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" the girl screamed as he began to pedal.  "That's my bike!"_

_"I'll bring it back someday!" the boy called as the rain began to fall._

_"Oh, you!!!" she screamed as he rode into the distance ... _

Ash chuckled to himself as he remembered.  Then the seriousness of the situation hit home, and he was instantly depressed.  Deep down inside he wanted to refuse this was real.  A small part of him even wanted to blame Misty for everything.  But he knew that wasn't true.  

Then he heard a rustling in the bushes.  He stood up and turned to face the sound, hoping it wasn't a wild Pokémon.  He was surprised when Brock emerged, not looking too happy.

"Brock?" Ash asked, wondering why he was here, and also wondering how he knew he was here.  "What's ha-" he began, before he fell to the ground.  An enormous pain was focused on his left cheek and he held his hand to it, looking up at Brock staring down at him with his right fist outstretched.  Had Brock just hit him?

"You needed that," Brock said angrily as Ash picked himself up off the floor.  "I warned you Ash!  I warned you not to mess around with her!"

"I haven't!" Ash protested, speaking through the pain.

"You ran," Brock reminded him.  "When she needed you more than ever, you ran away from her!  She's having your child Ash, and she needs you there with her!  She thinks she has to do this on her own, for crying out loud!"

"I'd never let her do that!" Ash cried.

"She doesn't know that, does she!?  You never said anything Ash!  You turned your back and walked away from her!  Away from _them_!"

"What would you have done Brock!?" Ash shouted, needing to defend himself again.  "Don't say "I'd have stayed and talked" because you wouldn't have!  You'd have panicked!  _I panicked_!  I didn't want to run away, but it just happened, without thinking!"

"Well what about Misty!?  Didn't you think how _she_ felt!?  She's gotta go through it all!  Morning sickness, cravings, doubling in size ... birth!  And what have you got to do Ash?  All _you_ need to do is be with her, support her!" Brock fought.

"That's not _all_ Brock!" Ash tried to remind him.  "I've barely finished growing up, and now I have to help a new life grow!  We had years ahead of us for all this!"  

"Well you took the risk when you slept with her Ash," Brock told him.

"Don't patronise me Brock," he warned slightly.  "You have no idea what this is like!"

"I had to look after my entire _family_ when I was younger than you Ash!" Brock reminded him angrily.  "Some of them were babies then, as well as toddlers!  I had a harder time than you're gonna have!"

"But," Ash began, sighing as the tears threatened in his eyes, "I have no idea what to do!  I have to teach this baby things, lead by example ... What can I give a baby?"

"Love, Ash," he said.  "As corny as it may sound, love is what the baby, is what _Misty_ needs right now."  Finished saying what he had to say, Brock began to walk back, but stopped and turned back to face him.  "You told me at Snowela that you and Misty slept together because you loved each other.  Well, Misty's now carrying a symbol of your love.  Did you ever think of that?"  Brock, leaving him with the unanswered question, walked off into the forest.

Ash stood watching Brock leave, thinking about what he had said.  Inside, he was kicking himself, feeling the delayed guilt of leaving Misty standing there.  

"I have to get back," he said to the empty surroundings.  He began to run as fast as he could back to Pallet Town, planning what to say to Misty when he got there.

"And then," Misty paused, placing her hand on her stomach, "this was created."

"I have to hand it to Ash, he sure was romantic," Delia commented, taking a sip of her tea.  "Anyway, do you feel any better for talking about it?"

"I'm a little worried, but, yeah," Misty said.  "I know a little of what to expect."

"And don't worry.  I'll be here for you, and I'm sure Ash will be too," Delia comforted.  

Tears gathered in Misty's eyes as she remembered her earlier "conversation" with Ash.  "If he ever comes back," she sighed.  

"Don't say that," Delia suggested.

"Yeah, don't say that," a voice said from outside the open kitchen door.  

"Ash Ketchum, get in here now!" Delia said firmly.  Ash drifted in and leaned against the doorframe, like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Hey," he greeted Misty. Although she was angry with him, she couldn't help but smile at his playfulness.  She quickly replaced the smile with Ash's deserved frown.

"I believe you two have things to talk about, so I'll leave you to it."  Delia stood up and walked into the lounge, shutting the door behind her.

Ash walked over to Misty sitting on a chair, and kneeled down to look at her.  "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Sorry's don't make everything better," Misty said coldly, secretly wanting to give into him, deciding to let him squirm.  After all, it was what he deserved for abandoning her.  

"How about I love you?" he asked, moving his face closer to hers.

"I love you's don't make the pain go away," she reminded him sadly, staring into the eyes that were staring into hers, trying not to give in to him.

"How about this?" he asked, kissing her gently.  He lit up inside when she responded to him, placing her hands on the back of his head.  He winced when she touched his injured cheek, and broke the kiss, rubbing it gently.

"What happened?" Misty asked, turning his face to the side and looking at the appearing bruise.

"Your "almighty protector Brock" happened," Ash jokily said.  "I think he decided to physically knock some sense into me.  I really did need it though."

"Good," Misty agreed, stroking her hand through his hair.  At the same time, Ash placed his hand on her belly, where it had begun to swell slightly.

"I can't believe I ran away from this," he said in awe, his attention fully focused on the growing life, unseen inside of her.

"Let's face it, I didn't exactly break it gently to you, did I?" she asked, smiling at him.

"We're gonna be parents," he said quietly, moving closer to her stomach.  Misty leaned back slightly, allowing him to reach better.  He placed a kiss on her stomach and leaned against it, wrapping his arms around Misty.  Misty reached and placed her arms on his back, and together they hugged each other.

"We can do this," Misty whispered to Ash.

"I know," Ash replied.  

*~*

END PART THREE

Yikes ... Misty pregnant ... 

The main base for the story has been set!  What could possible happen to everyone next?

Go to part four and find out!


	4. The plot unfolds, and thickens

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon.  What else can I say?  Oh yes!  If you stole the lawn mower this morning, THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU!  Grrrrrrrrr ...

That's actually true!  Our lawn mower ...  Anyway, it's taken A WHILE to get this part done.  So much to put in ... plus, it's taken a few directions and twists and turns that I didn't expect.  Lol.  Enjoy, and REVIEW!  Please?

A Year in the Life of AAML 

Over the next two months all Ash could do was stand to the side and watch as Misty, and their child, grew in size.  Thankfully, Misty's short period of morning sickness had passed and now she was totally hooked on the craving stage.

"Carrots!" she moaned as they sat on the sofa.

"We're all out!  Mom's gone for more," Ash reassured her.

"How about peppers?" she asked next.

"How about bugs?" he teased, remembering her various speeches of "I don't like carrots, peppers or bugs".

"Don't push it Ketchum," she warned.  "Oh well, I guess I'll have to make do with ice cream on toast," she sighed.

"What!?" Ash exclaimed, not sure if he heard right.  "Don't put the kid through that!"

"I was joking," she reassured him, kissing his cheek.  She gasped slightly, and placed her hands on her swollen stomach.  "He she's kicking again," she said in awe, reaching for Ash's hand and placing it next to hers.  Togepi and Pikachu who were on the sofa next to them rushed over and put their ears on to listen.

"Pikapi," Pikachu called after a minute.  "Pikachupi pika pichu pika pikachu?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ash replied simply.  He reluctantly removed his hand and stood up, heading towards the kitchen, Pikachu putting his ear back against Misty's bump.

"Ash?" Misty asked, wondering what they had said.

"Just a minute," he replied from inside the kitchen. She sighed and stroked Pikachu who was smiling widely.

"You hear something, Pikachu?" she asked him.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, nodding his head.  Misty smiled at him, wondering just what he had heard.

Just then, a loud cheer of, "SURPRISE!" rang through the house, making Misty jump.

"You remembered!?" she said touched, as Ash, Delia, Brock, Tracey and Prof. Oak all walked out the kitchen, carrying a huge sponge cake lit with 18 candles.

"How could we forget?" Ash asked her.  After singing a somewhat out of tune "Happy Birthday", Misty blew out the candles.  Tracey placed the cake down on the coffee table and slices were cut from it and handed around.

"I didn't expect this," Misty said in shock. 

"You really think we'd forget your 18th birthday?" Brock asked her.  "It's a landmark!"

"But, presents first!" Ash cried excitedly. 

Delia gave her present first, a book full of baby names.  After flicking through and seeing what the book said about all of their own names, Tracey handed his present to Misty.  It was a picture he had drawn of Ash and Misty "one day" as he put it, when they were much younger.  Thanking him, she received Professor Oak's next.  A multi-pack of herbal teas that his wife and daughter had both claimed got rid of cravings.  Relieved she had something to keep the carrots away, she now received Brock's present. 

"Wow," she exclaimed as she unwrapped a silver pendant.  "Oh Brock, this is beautiful!" she exclaimed as opened it, revealing two empty spaces.

"There's enough room to fit two baby pictures in there," Brock told her.  Misty, who now became overwhelmed at any present given for the baby, hugged Brock tearfully.  She received a tap on her shoulder and separated from Brock.  She turned to see Delia, who was holding a small picture out to her.

"Here's a start," she offered.  Misty took the picture off her and looked at it, seeing a picture of a small baby.

"It's Ash, right?" Misty asked Delia. 

Delia nodded.  "Don't worry, I've got hundreds!"

"Really?" Ash asked, surprised. 

"You'd be surprised at how much I was a shutterbug when you were small," Delia told him, winking.

Misty, now having put the picture in the pendant, placed it round her neck.  "Thanks," she told them.

"Now mine," Ash said.  "You can kinda consider it as from Pikachu and Togepi as well."

"Pika," Pikachu agreed, nodding his head.  Ash then handed Misty a small rectangular blue parcel.

"Toge togepi!" Togepi chirped, excited by all the wrapping paper. 

Misty unwrapped the blue paper to reveal a small velvet box.  Warily, she opened it to reveal a plain gold bracelet.

"Oh Ash!" she gasped, taking it out.  "It's ... wow!"  She turned it over and read an inscription on the other side.

_'Misty, my love, happiness on your 18th birthday.  Ash x x x'_

"You like it?" Ash asked her. 

She nodded, putting it on her wrist.  "I love it," she whispered as she kissed him.  Then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Delia said, standing up.  Misty had begun moving her way to the cards when they heard their voices at the door.

"Hello?" Delia asked the visitor.

"Is this where Ash Ketchum lives?" a female voice asked.  At the mention of his name, Ash turned his head around.

"Yes.  Why?" Delia queried.

"I need to speak to him, it's important."

"May?" Brock asked, recognising the voice.

"Brock?" May called, Delia deciding, since they obviously knew her, to let her in the house, shutting the door behind her. 

"May, what are you doing here?  I thought you were staying in Hoenn?" Ash asked as she walked into the lounge, wearing the same ensemble she wore throughout their trip through Hoenn.

"Holy he-" she stopped herself, seeing a pregnant girl sitting next to Ash.  "I'm May," she greeted.

"Misty," Misty replied. 

May smiled knowingly.  "Oh, _you're_ Misty," she said slightly cheekily.  "Congratulations," she commentated on the impending arrival.

"Thanks," Ash thanked. 

"It's yours!?" she exclaimed.  "Anyway, I came here for a reason, a very important reason."

"It must have been if you travelled all the way from ... Hoenn?" Tracey asked.

"Yes," she confirmed.  "Ash, can I talk to you in private?"

"Private?  It's not like this is a big secret," Ash sighed, standing up.

"My father sent me here to deliver 'Official Confidential Hoenn League News'," May said bluntly and with slight bitterness.  "I need to make sure you understand this."

"Ash," Misty said, looking at him.  "Talk in the kitchen."  Ash smiled and led May into the kitchen, shutting the door behind them.

"May, what's this about?" Ash asked, leaning against the desktop.

"Ash, this'll come as a shock, but ... Steven's dead."

"Steven?" Ash asked confused.  Then he remembered.  "The Champion, Steven!?" he exclaimed. 

"I'm sorry," she consoled, holding up a letter in her hand.  "And there's also this letter for you."

Ash took the letter off her and opened it up quickly, reading the contents ...

**Dear Ash Ketchum,**

**It is with great sadness that we report to you, a recent Hoenn League Challenger, news that the current Champion, Steven Stone, has passed away, leaving a widow and two children.  Unfortunately, even though you yourself came second in the Championships, we will have to re-host the Hoenn League Championships.**

**Please reply to this letter as soon as possible, as the League matches are scheduled to start 2 months to the day, of the date stated at the top of this letter and we need to know urgently if you are able to attend.  If for some reason you are unable to, we are sorry to state that the result you achieved in the currently discounted Championships will not be officially recorded.  But, you are free to attend the next Championships, date currently unknown.  **

**Again, please reply ASAP.**

**HOENN LEAGUE******

Ash finished reading the letter and threw it down on the table, screwed up tightly.

"Ash?" May asked.  "What did it say?"

"It said that the championships are being held again, and that all the positions reached last time are now ... void," he spoke with bitterness.

"What?  They can't do that!" May exclaimed.  "Everyone worked so hard ... you worked hard!  They can't throw that out the window!"

"They can, and they have!" Ash shouted.  He sighed loudly and kicked the kitchen units as hard as he could, trying to release his frustration.  "In seven years that was the closest I had ever gotten," he said sadly.  "Kanto, Orange, Johto ... " he trailed off. 

"Ash are you gonna be ok?" she asked.

He paused, thinking before answering.  "I'm gonna go for a walk," he whispered.  He walked out of the kitchen, May following after him. 

In the living room they were all chatting with each other.  Ash stopped and looked at Misty who was talking with Tracey.  She laughed and then noticed he was back in the room and turned her head to look at him, still smiling.  "Ash?" she asked, making everyone focus on him. 

"Honey, are you alright?" Delia asked, seeing the sadness displayed on his face.  Ash said nothing.  He looked despairingly at Misty, and then headed for the front door as fast as he could. 

"Ash where are you going!?" Misty shouted, standing up from the sofa and heading to the front door as well. 

"He's angry," May told them all, walking into the middle of the room.  "And I don't blame him."

"Well what did you say to him!?" Misty angrily asked her.  "Something's happened and I wanna know, confidential or not!"

"He's lost his Hoenn second place!" May shouted back at her.  "They're having to do last year's competition all over again!  In two months!"

"Two months?" Brock asked, flicking his gaze from May to Misty, who was now looking down at the floor. 

"This is my fault," she said quietly.  "He can't go ... " she trailed off, looking out the open door. 

"Don't blame yourself," Delia told her as Misty hurried out the door.  Brock stood up to follow, but Delia stopped him.  "Let them talk," she told him.  Reluctantly he sat down.

"May, do you wanna run through why all this has happened?" Tracey asked her as she sat down.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she asked jokily.  She sighed.  "Ok," she agreed, before continuing.

Ash lay back on the sand, staring up at the blue sky.  "It's not fair," he repeated over and over in his head.  He sat up and looked out to the calm blue water, sighing heavily.  He was so angry at everything and everyone.  He was even angry with Steven for getting himself killed 2 years before the next championships, however selfish it sounded.  He felt the anger surge up inside of him and he clenched his fists. 

"Ash!?" a voice shouted to him from up the beach.  He turned his head to see Misty walking up to him, looking out of breath. 

"Pikapi!" a voice said behind her.  Misty turned to see Pikachu following her, and she waited for him to catch her up before she continued her way over to Ash. 

"Ash, I've been looking for you all over," she said when she reached him. 

"Just leave me alone Misty," Ash said quietly, standing up.

"Ash, I'm sorry for what happened but-"

"Sorry?  Sorry's don't make everything better, remember that?" he said nastily to her. 

The anger grew quickly within Misty.  "Well what should I say!?" she shouted.  "That I'm glad you've lost your ranking!?"

"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, not wanting to see the two of them fighting. 

"Look, I just wanna be left alone!  Is that so much to ask!?" Ash shouted at her.

"So you can sulk like a baby!?" Misty retorted, watching Ash's face twist in even more anger. 

"... Get out my life," he said bitterly. 

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked quietly, hoping that what he worried about wasn't about to happen.

Misty stared him in the eyes, tears threatening to spill.  "I will," she replied quietly.  Turning from him, she ran as fast as she could in the direction that led to his house.

Ash couldn't believe what had just happened between them and he dropped down onto the sand, crossing his legs and hitting them with his arms.  It hurt, but it took the attention away from the pain in his chest.  After a few minutes he looked up and saw Pikachu staring at him angrily.  "She doesn't mean it," Ash said to him. 

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted as loud as he could, making Ash jump.  "Pika pikachu!  Pikachupi pikapichu pi kachu pika chuka pichu pikachu!"

Ash was silent for a moment, trying to figure out a bit of what Pikachu said.  "I thought at least you would have understood!  That wasn't just my ranking, it was yours as well!"

"Pika pikachu ... pi Pikachupi pipi pichu!" Pikachu shouted.

"I ... suppose they are," Ash said quietly, feeling the delayed guilt arrive.  "I'd better go and find her, hadn't I?" he asked Pikachu, who nodded in relief.  "30 minutes to get home," he said as he stood up.  "I think we can catch her up."  Pikachu smiled and jumped onto Ash's shoulder as he set off running.

"Thank you so much," Misty said to Sarah, the assistant at the Poké Mart.  She undid her seatbelt and got out of the car in front of Ash's house.

"Are you really ok?" she asked with concern for her.  She'd picked her up on the road back to Pallet Town, thinking it was not right for a pregnant and distraught woman to be left alone like that.

"I'm fine," Misty assured her falsely as she shut the door and peered in through the open window.  "I have to go now, bye!"  She rushed away before Sarah had the chance to say anything else to her. 

"Never mind then," she sighed, giving up on her and driving away. 

Knocking on the door, Misty got no response.  Then she noticed an envelope peeking out under the doormat.  Managing to bend down and pick it up, cursing the person who forgot how hard that simple movement was getting for her, she opened and read it.

**Misty Ash,**

**There's been a problem up at the Lab, so me (Delia), May, Tracey and Sam have gone up there to sort it out.  We won't be back until 8-ish.  Brock had a call from Lara, so he's gone to her house.  No idea when he'll be back.**

**Take care,**

**Delia.******

"But what about a key!?" she shouted despairingly, leaning against the doorframe.  She was exhausted and not in the mood for walking all the way to the Lab.

Then a rattling noise of chains and keys in the lock of the front door drew Misty's immediate attention.  Thanking her lucky stars she watched as the door opened to reveal-

"Brock!  What are you doing here?" Misty exclaimed.  She then noticed his facial expression, how sad he looked, and the tear tracks on his face.  "What's happened?" she asked as she got through the front door.

"She ... " he trailed off as he reached the sofa and sat down on it.  "It's over.  Lara was using me all the time, and I was too desperate to see it ... " 

Misty sat down besides him, noticing the bottle and glass on the table.  "Have you been drinking?" she asked, reaching for the glass and picking it up, sniffing the liquid inside of it. 

"Yes," he said almost shamefully, taking the glass out of her hands and drinking whatever little amount was left in it.  "It helps," he added, putting it back on the table.

"What would help me?" she asked him.  He looked at her.  "We've finished," she whispered.  Her throat closed up and she started sobbing.

At any other time, Brock would have marched out of the house and found Ash, giving him a piece of his mind.  But today ...  "Misty ... " Brock soothed, pulling her into a hug.  "It's just an argument," he said through his foggy brain.  Just how much had he had to drink?  He glanced at the bottle of whisky on the table, seeing it ... half empty.  Uh oh ...

"It's not an argument!" Misty cried into his chest, bringing his attention back to her.  "This is it, over!  I said he was sulking because of his stupid ranking, and he said I should just get out of his life!"  She said no more as she kept on crying.  "And ... I said I would."

Feeling the tears reach through and soak his shirt, Brock pulled her up away from him and put his hands on her shoulders, making her stop crying and look up at him.  "Stop this, it's not good for the baby," he said concernedly. 

"Drinking isn't, but at least I'm not doing that," she said jokily, looking into his eyes.  His eyes ... why hadn't she ever noticed them before?  They were such an amazing shade of-

"Misty, what are you doing?" Brock asked her as he felt her lean over to him, putting her hands on his neck. 

"Moving on," she whispered as her face stopped moving, millimetres away from Brock's, her eyes looking into his.

"This is a bad idea," he fumbled out.  "I'm drunk, you're upset as well as pregnant.  We'll regret it, we don't know-"

"We're single," she reminded him, putting a finger on his lips. 

"Misty no ... " Brock pleaded as her nose bumped against his.  Their foreheads rested together and Brock took a deep breath, fighting between his conscience and his emotions.  "What about Ash?" he murmured to her. 

"Ash is a selfish, Pokémon-obsessed kid!" she exploded, jumping up from the sofa.  "I don't know why I didn't see it before!"

"Isn't that what you saw in him in the first place?" Brock asked her.  "How much he loved Pokémon?"

Misty paused for a moment, and then sighed in defeat.  "I don't know," she said as she sat down on the sofa.  "You see ... it took me ages to figure Ash out.  He was this dense kid, who had the determination and the heart to do whatever he wanted.  Maybe that's why I couldn't stand him at first.  We kinda had the same dream ... but he had the drive to get there.  I realised after a few days that if I hung around with him, I could get to where I wanted to go a little quicker, and maybe see some things along the way."

"And then you fell in love with him," Brock added, practically finishing her story.

She sighed before she continued.  "I never thought I would.  I had all these childhood fantasies about whom I would fall in love with, a dark, handsome and clever gentleman who would sweep me off my feet and carry me away into the sunset.  And when I met a man just like that, who fell in love with me, I realised that things weren't as simple as in fairytales.  I was meant to fall in love with the Prince ... but I didn't.  I was in love with a Traveller.  I left the Prince alone in his castle, and stayed with the Traveller ...  I stayed with Ash."

"And that's why you should still stay with him," Brock finished as keys were heard jingling in the front door.  It swung open loudly to reveal a worn-out Ash Ketchum.

"Misty!?" Ash called out in a panic as he shut the door.  In the few seconds he allowed himself to rest, he tried to catch his breath while Brock stood up from the sofa.

"She's here," he told Ash, making him rush over to them.  Brock reached up and took Pikachu off Ash's shoulder.  "Talk with her while I ... " he paused, reaching up to his head.  "Sober up." 

"Thanks," Ash said quietly.  As Brock moved into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him, Ash kneeled cautiously on the floor and looked up at Misty.  "Hey beautiful," he whispered to her.

"Leave me along Ash," she said suddenly, standing up.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, watching to see the effect it would have upon her.  She said nothing, just walked briskly over to the stairs and began climbing them.  Ash jumped up from the floor and followed after, Misty going into what was designated as 'their' room now.  Ash's Mom had decided to let the two of them stay together, her excuse being, "she's pregnant, so what more can the two of you do together?"

Ash's train of thought crashed when he heard Misty mumbling to herself whilst throwing various items into a bag.  "Where are you going?" he asked whilst he moved to stand besides her. 

"I'm going home!" she shouted as she moved off to fetch more of her things. 

"You are home!" Ash insisted, moving to block her path to her bag.

"Move out of my way," Misty warned. 

"No," Ash murmured, shaking his head.  "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"What's wrong!?" she exclaimed.  "You wanted me to get out of your life!  Then when I do that, you don't want me to go!"

"I-I was upset!  I didn't mean it!" Ash justified, taking a step closer to her and placing his hands on her shoulders, only for them to be smacked away.

"You said it, didn't you?" she reminded him, managing to get round him and dump the bundle she held in her arms into the bag.  Shoving Ash out of the way, she proceeded to zip the bag up, albeit with some difficulty.

Noticing a small, furry, yellow object on the floor, Ash bent down and picked it up.  It was a Pikachu doll that they had been planning on giving to the baby when it was born.  The tears gathering slightly, Ash stared at the doll and then at her, thinking he had lost all hope of winning this argument.  She was gonna walk out of his life ... again ...

"How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace?" Ash began to sing quietly.  "When I stand here taking every breath, with you ... " he trailed off, standing behind her and putting his arms round her, his hands and the toy in them resting on the bump that was their child.

"Let go of me Ash," Misty said quietly, trying to sound firm.  It wasn't working, she was giving in to him ... No, this was it, she was going home for real this time!  She felt the Pikachu teddy against her abdomen and put her hand on it, her fingers brushing against Ash's. 

Placing his mouth close to her ear, Ash continued.  "You're the only one ... who really knew me at all ... " he whispered, sending shivers up and down Misty and making her mouth go dry. 

"I hate you," she whispered out to him.  Shocked and hurt, Ash removed his arms from around her.  Misty turned around and saw his pain, directed now at her, on his face.

Ash shook his head, unwilling to believe her.  "You don't."

"I hate the kid inside of you," Misty explained to him.  "You still wanna be out there, training your Pokémon, having adventures.  And I feel so god damned guilty for it!"  The tears threatened in her eyes and she paused to wipe them away.  "I feel guilty because you can't have that, because you have to stay here with your pregnant girlfriend!"

"You ever thought I might just want to stay here with you?" Ash asked her.

"You don't though," Misty told him.  "Deep down inside, you wanna go and reply to that letter, and go to the Hoenn League.  And you know I'm not lying."

Ash stared at her.  What should he say?  What could he say ... when they both knew she was right?

"See," Misty commentated about their silence.  She reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper, slightly crumpled.  "Here's the letter.  Go and reply to it."  She held it out to him and he took it, dumbfounded by everything.  Saying nothing, she went downstairs, still leaving her bag upstairs.

"What am I doing!?" Ash shouted to himself.  Shoving the letter into his pocket, he rushed out of their room and ran down the stairs after her.  "Misty!" he shouted.  "Misty wait!"

"No!" she shouted, turning to face him now he had gotten down the stairs.  "I'm going to say goodbye to your mother, and then I'm going!"  She turned back round to walk out of the now open door when a wave of dizziness washed over her.  Losing her balance, she staggered over to the wall and used her arms to support herself.

"Misty?" Ash asked full of concern, moving and putting his arms round her to help support her.  "What's wrong?"

"So dizzy ... " she whispered, trying to head over to the sofa and lie down.  She lost her balance and fell into Ash's arms.  Her legs giving underneath her, she sank down to the ground, Ash supporting her underneath him.

"Misty!" Ash called helplessly, looking at her in his arms.

Loosing consciousness, Misty whispered out, "I didn't mean it," before her eyes drifted shut and she fainted.

Ash panicked and shook her gently, trying to wake her up.  "Misty, wake up!" he shouted.  "Please!"  Then he remembered the other person in the house.  "Brock!  BROCK!"

Brock came rushing out of the kitchen, thinking someone was being murdered.  He stopped dead when he saw Ash holding Misty on the ground, tears streaking his face.  "What happened?" he asked, bending down to look at Misty.

"Call an ambulance!" Ash shouted, still looking at Misty.  "Oh god, the baby ... " he trailed off.

Brock scrambled up and dashed towards the kitchen.  "I'll call your Mom!" he told Ash as he picked up the phone and dialled the number.

Ash broke down over Misty and cried, kissing her forehead.  "I love you, don't leave me," he whispered to her.  He hung his head over hers, and cried until his Mom and the ambulance arrived.

"Are you ok honey?" Delia asked Ash for the 20th time.  Getting no reply, she pulled him into a hug, Ash wrapping his arms around her tightly.  She looked down at him, surprised that, in a certain light, he still looked like the 10 year old he was when he met Misty.  When she felt the dampness seep through to her skin, she rocked him back and forth, soothing him.

"I'm worried Mom," he whispered to her.  

"We all are," she comforted as she heard footsteps approach.  They separated, hoping it was a doctor, only to see that it was May.

"Tracey's with Pikachu and Togepi," she informed them, as the Hospital wouldn't allow Pokémon above the ground floor.  "Togepi won't stop crying.  Pikachu's trying, but ... " she trailed off, taking a seat next to Ash.  "Where's Brock gone?"

"He said he had a headache," Delia told her, seeing Brock walk over to them.  "Here he is now!"

"Any news?" he asked them, sitting down next to May.

"Not a word," Ash said hoarsely.  "This is ridiculous!" he suddenly shouted.

"Excuse me?" a tall man in a white overall asked Brock.  "I'm Doctor Hanson.  Are you all here about a Misty Williams?"

"Yes," Ash said quickly, standing up.  "Is the baby ok?"

The doctor turned to him.  "Are you the father?" he asked with a kind voice.  When Ash nodded he continued.  "Ash, right?  She's been asking for you."  He smiled reassuringly. 

"How is she?" Delia asked.  "Have you called Mary Wilson?  She's Misty's Midwife."

Hanson turned to look at Delia.  "Doctor Wilson's been informed, but she can't get here.  She's at a conference in Goldenrod City.  But, she says she is satisfied with the care we've provided for Misty."

"But how is she?" May asked.

"It was nothing serious.  Certainly wouldn't affect the baby in any way.  It's just Misty's sugar levels were a little low, leading to dizziness.  In some situations some people faint, but apart from that ... Misty will be fine," he informed them all, everyone breathing a sigh of relief.

"Ash, do you wanna go see her first?" Brock suggested, glancing a look at Doctor Hanson.  Ash's face lit up with happiness.

"She's this way, Room 215," he told him, leading the way for him as they both walked off.

Delia sighed.  "More like Doctor Handsome!" she swooned.

May's face grew into a smile, and she looked at Brock, a smile on his face too.  It seemed Delia was more than a little thankful to Doctor Hanson ...

"Mist?" he asked quietly, poking his head round the door.  He saw her sitting up in bed, reading a magazine like it was as normal as anything.

"Ash!" she cried out happily, making him smile widely.  She put her magazine down as he walked over to her and kissed her.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he whispered when they pulled away.

"Ash?" she asked with feeling, wiping away a tear that had begun to trail down his face.

"I thought I'd lost you," he said, sitting down on a chair next to the bed and holding her hand in his.  "Both of you," he corrected.  "I'd never felt so helpless ... "

"Ash, it's ok," she reassured him, squeezing his hand.  She looked down, gathering up her thoughts of what to say to him.  "I'm sorry," she began.  "I didn't mean it when I said I hated you."

"Misty," Ash cut in, "it doesn't matter."

"It does to me," she said.  "I ... I suppose, in a way, I was scared.  I was scared that you were gonna go off to the league and leave me by myself.  I was scared I was gonna lose you."

"I wouldn't have gone," Ash told her.  "Even if you had walked out that door, I wouldn't have gone to the Championships."  Finishing, he reached into his pocket and took out the letter that he had crammed in there earlier on.  Removing his hand from Misty's, he held the piece of paper out to her, and ripped it clean in two.  Misty's jaw dropping, Ash put the two half pieces together and ripped them in half as well.

"Ash, what are you doing?" she asked in disbelief as he handed the bits of torn paper over to her. 

"I'm showing you which means more to me," he murmured as he moved in to kiss her again, Misty placing her hands on the back of his head.  How nice it was to kiss him when that damn hat wasn't in the way ...

A quiet knock at the door broke their activities, forcing them to break apart.  After Misty told whoever it was that they could come in, Delia popped her head round the door.  "Can I come in?"

"Sure Mom," Ash said smiling, sitting back down in his chair. 

"Misty, I'm glad to see you're ok," she said happily.  Just then the door opened and in walked two other figures.

"Alright for us to come in?" May asked timidly, Brock standing besides her.

"Sure!" Misty replied, pushing herself up in her bed.  "I don't think we were really introduced, huh?" she joked to May.

"Ok!" May beamed, quickly straightening her appearance, holding a hand out after she had finished.  "Hi, my name's May and I'm 15 years old."

"Hi, my name's Misty," she replied, accepting the hand.  "I'm 18 years old.  I ... well ... used to be a Pokémon Trainer."

"Mist, don't talk like that," Ash said, trying to cheer her up.

"Anyway," Misty ignored, "how did you meet Ash?"  Ash suddenly grew very nervous, Misty turning to look at him.  "What?" she asked him.

"I think you'll enjoy the déjà vu Misty," Brock commented, chuckling slightly to himself. 

"Why?" Misty asked, the realisation slowly hitting her as her head turned slowly to face Ash.  "You didn't did you?" she asked him, a smile forming on her face.

"Didn't what?" Delia asked her.

"He destroyed another bike!" Misty exclaimed, bursting out in laughter.  Brock joined in with her along with May and Delia, leaving Ash as the only one in the room who was sane at that moment.

"It's not that funny!" Ash complained, earning an even louder cry from Misty.  "Anyway, it was Pikachu!"

"It was Pikachu last time!" Misty commented, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.  There then came another knock at the door, it opening to reveal Doctor Hanson.

"Misty, good news for you!" he beamed.  "In a couple of hours you'll be discharged and able to go home."

"That soon?" Brock asked the doctor, looking in his direction with everyone else.

"There's no immediate danger to her, and the baby's fine," he informed them.  "There's no reason she should stay here.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just go and sort out your papers."  He turned around and moved to walk out of the door.

"Thanks," Ash said sincerely.  Hanson turned his head, smiled, and closed the door behind him.

"He is so cute ... " Delia murmured, leaning back against the wall.  When she snapped out of her daydream, she felt 8 eyes staring at her.  "What?" she asked innocently, blushing slightly though her embarrassment.

"I think Mom's got a crush!" Ash sang in a playful voice. 

"I do not!" she denied.  "Anyway young man, you're not exactly one to talk when it comes to the subject of crushes," she retorted, winking.  "Misty, is it ok if Ash stays with you?  I need the others to help me at home."  Ignoring Ash's protests of wanting to answer her accusation, Delia pulled May and Brock out of the room.

"Take the Pokémon with you!" Misty called after her, receiving a quiet and distant confirmation in reply.  A smirk now on her face, she turned to look at Ash.  "What was that about "crushes"?" she asked evilly.

Ash gulped.  Resigning himself to his fate, he told her his story ...

Still in fits of laughter from his story, Misty got out of the navy blue car in front of the 'Ketchum Residence'.  Ash moved around to collect her bag out of the back, while Doctor Hanson got out as well.  "I'll just see you in," he insisted. 

"Oh, you don't need to do that," Misty insisted, suddenly receiving a slight nudge in her ribs from Ash. 

"Remember my Mom," he said quietly through clenched teeth.  Misty took the hint and nodded in understanding.

"Actually," Misty called out, turning to look at him walking over to them, "why don't you come inside?  I bet my Togepi will wanna say thank you to you."

"You have a Togepi?" he asked her, receiving a smile as a reply.  "That's my second favourite Pokémon."

"What's your favourite?" Ash asked, excited that the subject was on Pokémon.

"I'll describe it to you," the Doctor decided, his eyes glazing over slightly as he went into a dream-like state.  "My favourite Pokémon ... it's hard to put into words.  But, I've been fascinated by them since I was a little boy.  Their appearance, grace, style, and artistic talent ... " he trailed off.  "But, I haven't seen a real one right in front of me in so many years.  I don't know how I'd act if ever again I saw a real life-"

"Mr. Mime!" a Pokémon call came from inside the house.  Almost immediately a wide smile came to Doctor Hanson's face.

"Mr. Mime!" he cried excitedly.  "You have a Mr. Mime!?  I would be so grateful if you'd let me see it!"

"Sure!" Ash said happily, opening the door.  "Mom!" he called out as they all walked though.

"Dear you're back!" she exclaimed happily, walking over to them.  She was wearing a small apron smudged with flour and cooking ingredients, her hair hanging down loosely.  "Just in time for-" she froze, noticing the guest standing with them. 

"You remember Doctor Hanson, Mom," Ash said as he walked over to the kitchen, Misty moving to the couch to sit down.

"Yes," she murmured, staring at him.  A clatter from the kitchen took her attention away from Hanson and she turned around to see Ash walk out of the kitchen pushing a Pokémon covered in the same stains as Delia.

"Mr. Mime!" Ash said struggling with him.  "Come on, do me this favour!"

"Is he your Pokémon?" Hanson asked Ash. 

"Oh no!" Ash said as he finally reached them, Mr. Mime standing reluctantly still and wanting to clean that small mark on the floor by the stairs.  "Mimey's my Mom's."

"He's yours?" he asked Delia.  She nodded a reply as he held out a hand to her.  "I don't think we were properly introduced in the hospital, were we?  My real name's Daniel."

"Daniel," Delia repeated sheepishly, accepting the hand.  "I'm Delia Ketchum.  Would you like to stay for dinner?  Oh, but you must have a person to go home to, so-"

"I'm single actually," he replied, smiling at her though the tension.  "You?"

"Ditto," she said, making them both laugh slightly. 

"Mrs Ketchum!" May called, sticking her head out of the kitchen door.  "Are these finished?"

"Uh, coming dear!" she replied, separating from Daniel.

"Is it ok if I talk with your Mr. Mime?" he asked her before she disappeared through the door.

"Sure!" he told him, smiling before going to help out Brock, May and Tracey in the kitchen.

"Hello," Daniel said almost reverently, kneeling down to look at Mr. Mime at his height level.  "Sorry if I sound weird, but ... I've always liked Mr. Mime since I was a kid."

"Mime!  Mr. Mime!  Mime mime," Mimey replied.  Daniel smiled and took this as an invitation to keep on talking to him. 

"Pikapi!" a cry came over from the sofa.  Ash smiled and left Mr. Mime's side, walking over to sit next to Misty, a small bundle of yellow fur immediately jumping into his arms.  "Pika pikachu!"

"Hey Pikachu," Ash said with slight relief, sitting down on the sofa next to Misty.  She turned and glanced a smile at him, turning her head back to Togepi.

"Togepi was telling me about the new friends he made today," she told Ash in what he termed her "Mommy" voice. 

"Toge togepiiii!" Togepi chirped happily as Misty raised him up in the air and back down again. 

"Pika pikachu, pi pichu, pi pipika, pi pichuka!" Pikachu checked off in a voice strangely similar to Misty's voice at that moment.  

"Sounds like it was a lot of fun," Ash commented.  Delia, again, then walked through the kitchen doors, this time looking a lot smarter in her appearance than she had done last time.

"Misty," she said turning to her, a smile beaming on her face.  "Happy Birthday!"

Misty looked at Ash in bewilderment.  A smile playing on his own lips, he stood up and offered his hand out to her.  Togepi having just hopped from her stomach to the sofa, she accepted the hand and allowed herself to be pulled up from her seat.  Opening the kitchen door for her, Misty was revealed to the site planned for her 18th birthday.

"I ... I don't know what to say," she whispered in disbelief, tears forming slightly in her eyes.  Her eyes fell on the only source of light in the room, a huge chocolate-covered cake with what she assumed was 18 candles resting on top. 

"This is your real cake," Ash whispered in her ear.  Turning her head and glancing at him for a moment, her eyes then fell on those of Brock, Tracey and May.  She heard the door in the kitchen close behind her, hearing the footsteps of Delia, Doctor Hanson and the three Pokémon enter the room.

"Mime mi mime mr. mime!"

"Mime mi mime mr. Mime!"

"Toge toge toge briiiiiiii!"

"Pika pi pikachu!"

Misty couldn't help but giggle slightly at the Pokémon version of the 'Happy Birthday' song.  After everyone else sang her the version they all knew so well, she took in a deep breath and blew out all of her candles, wishing her secret wish in her head, hoping that the wish Pokémon Jirachi was listening and would make it come true.

"Let's eat!" Ash decided for everyone as Brock flicked the light-switch on.  After Delia fetched a spare chair for Daniel they all sat down to tuck into the birthday dinner, Misty sitting at the head of the table with Ash next to her.  The Pokémon sat at their own small table in the corner of the room, piled high with Brock's gourmet Poké Chow. 

The meal was consumed in a happy and cheery atmosphere, everyone laughing and joking with each other.  They also took the time to learn a bit more about Daniel, laughing loudly at his jokes of what happened to patients in the middle of the night.  Throughout it all, Misty kept on staring around at the people around her.  Her family, as well as her friends. 

"You guys," she began after they had finished the main meal, the laughter having faded after another one of Dan's jokes.  "You have no idea how much this means to me.  Birthdays back at the Gym, they were nothing like this.  My sisters would manage to spare 15 minutes to talk to me, give me presents and eat some cake.  Then they'd be off again, like it was just another day.  And I know today probably hasn't turned out like you expected it to."  Misty smiled to herself before she continued.  "But I've never felt this loved, or cared for, ever in my life.  You guys are all my family and I wouldn't change today for anything."

After a long silence of waiting to see who would speak first, May decided it would be her.  "Me too," she announced.  "I know I haven't known you that long really, but you guys are my family."  She thrust her hand out into the middle of the table, Misty grasping it.  Ash's hand came next, followed by Brock's and then Tracey's.  After realising that this was meant for more than just the younger side of the people, Delia put her hand in. 

"And you're all welcome to use my house whenever you want," she added, making everyone laugh.  They removed their hands as Misty cut into her cake, handing out equal pieces to everyone in the room.  The cake having been consumed, Ash helped Delia to pack away while Tracey walked over to the door holding a piece of cake wrapped in tissue paper.

"I'll give this to the professor when I get back," he said to Misty as he stood at the open front door.  "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure Trace," Ash replied, his arm around Misty's waist.  "Safe trip!"

"See ya!" Tracey called as he began running back to Oak's Laboratory.  When he was out of sight, Misty shut the door and yawned suddenly.

"Someone's tired," Ash commentated, Misty leaning into him.  "I think we're gonna turn in," Ash said to Delia.  Pikachu and Togepi moved over to them, Ash picking them both up.  Pikachu stretched and curled into a ball in his arms, Togepi disappearing into his shell.

"That's a good idea, get some sleep," Delia said to them as they headed up the stairs.  "Goodnight!"

"Night!" they both replied, now out of sight in their bedroom. 

Delia sighed and slumped down, exhausted, next to Daniel on the sofa.  "I could use a drink," she said tiredly. 

Dan smiled and stood up.  "Where do you keep them?" he asked, Delia lifting an arm in fatigue and pointing to a cupboard over by the wall.  He moved over to it and knelt down, as Brock, May and Mr. Mime walked out of the kitchen.

"Night you two!" Brock said in a playful voice. 

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do!" May added.

"Mr. mime!" Mimey called just as playfully, all three of them dashing up the stairs to their rooms before Delia could make a retort.

"Wimps," Dan commented as he walked over to Delia with the half-bottle of whisky that, unknown to her, Brock had been drowning his sorrows with earlier.

"Who's been at this!?" she exclaimed when she saw how much of it had disappeared.  "Never mind," she decided as she held out two glasses for Dan to pour their drinks into, watching the liquid slosh around in them.

"Cheers," he said as he picked up a glass from her hand, clinking it with the other one as he placed the bottle of whisky down and sat next to her. 

"Yikes, today's been one hectic day," she commented, taking a sip of her whisky.

"I'm sure it must have been," he agreed, leaning into the sofa.  "But, at least it's over."  His eyes glanced around the room, resting on a certain photo on the mantelpiece.  "Is ... that your husband?" he asked her.

"No," she whispered, glancing at the photo.  "He would have been though, if it wasn't for the accident."

"Accident?" he asked gently.  "Oh, I'm intruding."

"It's ok," she sighed.  "Mark ... had a friend, called Giovanni.  Giovanni used to be so good, until he inherited Team Rocket off his mother.  He changed so much, started doing the most evil things to Pokémon and Humans.  He threatened to kill me, when I was pregnant with Ash.  Mark had to try and stop him ... " she trailed off, a tear falling down her face.  

"Delia," he expressed sympathetically, placing both of their drinks down on the table and placing an arm around her, pulling her close to him. 

"Giovanni killed him.  The police couldn't pin anything on him, but ... he did it.  And what's worse ... Team Rocket has been following Ash around.  The day he left here, in the Pokémon Centre in Viridian, Team Rocket attacked him.  They haven't been around recently, but ... I'm worried Giovanni wants him killed too."  She turned to Dan, tears now streaming.  "If Ash died, I don't think I'd be able to go on!"

"Calm down," he soothed gently, placing both of his hands on her cheek and wiping the tears away.  Delia closed her eyes at the feel of his hands, leaning slightly into the one on her left cheek.  Dan's left hand, on her right check, drifted down to her shoulder, resting near her neck.  Seeing she didn't pull away from her touch, Dan leaned down and kissed her neck near his hand.

"Dan," she murmured out, her arms rising and gripping his clothes on his chest.  Her hands crawled upwards until they reached his neck.  She put her arms around it, crossing them over lazily. 

He pulled himself from her neck, moving his face up to look into her eyes.  They were so captivating ... irrational as this situation seemed to him, he let himself be swept along in it.  He leaned down and captured her lips with his, the kiss deepening almost immediately.  His hands moved from her cheek and neck into her hair, resting at the back of her head.  Delia's body screamed out at his touch and she broke the kiss, needing to ask Dan something.

"Stay with me tonight."

A growl emerged from Dan's throat, surprising and enticing Delia at the same time.  He kissed her passionately before standing and picking Delia up in his arms in one swift movement.  She yelped quietly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck for support.  He walked steadily over to the stairs, looking into the eyes of Delia as he climbed them.  Reaching the top, Delia pointed a dangling foot in the direction of her room.  She let loose a hand and opened the door for them, Dan pushing it closed with his foot.

He placed Delia down on the bed, he himself joining her soon after.  He began kissing her again as Delia's hand reached behind her, trying to reach the pull-string on the bedside lamp.  She wanted to be able to see him, not make love to him in the darkness.  When partial light finally entered the room, she saw Dan leaning over her, kissing down her chest where her blouse was now open.  She placed her hands at the bottom of Dan's jumper, pulling it and the t-shirt over his head with his help.

They continued to kiss each other, removing various items of restricting clothing along the way.  When they were both naked, Dan pushed himself into Delia, eliciting a moan from the both of them.  He began a rhythm for the two of them, Delia matching it equally, urging him to go faster.  Moans and calls were muffled by long kisses, not wanting to alert anyone to their activities. 

Later on, their only single cry out loud now fading away from their ears, they lay next to each other under the covers, shaking from their efforts.  With the last of her energy draining away from her, Delia reached and turned the light off, snuggling into Dan's embrace.  There, they both fell asleep ...

Unknown to him, Ash was the first person to wake up that morning.  He stretched his arms out above his head and turned to look at Misty sleeping next to him.  She looked so peaceful lying there ...  Not having the heart to wake her up from her gentle slumber, he got out of bed.  Quickly getting changed, he went out of his room and down the stairs, making sure he had shut his door.

He expected to hear his Mom walk out to him and say good morning, or at least hear the rattling of pans from the kitchen.  All he heard was the silence, worrying him slightly.  He rushed back up the stairs and peeked into the spare room, seeing Brock asleep on a couch in there, May on the bed.  Closing the door again, he crossed over to his Mom's room.  He opened the door slightly, it swinging open when he saw what he least expected to see.

His Mom ... was kissing Doctor Hanson!  Daniel was dressed in the same clothes as last night, his Mom wrapped up in a dressing gown.  They stopped kissing when they realised they had an audience, and Delia in particular looked pretty annoyed with Ash.  "Haven't you heard of knocking?"

"I-I-I," he stuttered.  "You weren't downstairs and I was worried, so I came to see where you were."

"I'd better get going," Dan said to Delia, making her face turn to see him.  "I've got work, and I need to get changed."

"I'll see you later?" Delia asked him as he kissed her.

"I'll call," he finished as he separated from her and walked out of the room.  She sighed in happiness and sat down on the bed, hearing the door shut downstairs.

"Mom, what happened!?" Ash asked, sitting down next to her.  Her face became flushed and she placed her hands on her burning cheeks.

"None of your business young man," she said as sternly as she could in the circumstances.  "What are you doing up so early?"

"It's nine-thirty Mom," Ash told her, seeing her face jump in surprise.

"I guess time flies," she said, sighing.  "I'm sorry honey, I know how much you like to have pancakes on a Sunday."

"Don't be sorry," Ash said seriously.  "It's ... been a long time since I've seen you this happy."

"It's so strange," Delia explained to him.  "I've known him five minutes, but ... I feel like I've known him forever.  I know it seems like it's too fast too soon, and it probably is, but ... I felt just like this with your father."  She smiled at him, Ash smiling widely back at her.  She pulled him into a hug, Ash hugging her back.  When they separated, Delia went downstairs to make the breakfast, a big smile on her face, whilst Ash went to wake everyone up.

Little did they know that, in a car that's distance from the Ketchum Household was increasing, Daniel was driving and talking into a radio.  "Boss?" he said in a triumphant voice.  "This is Rocket Agent 'A'.  The plan's been set in motion.  I'm now moving to phase 2."

END PART 4

Wohoo!  Now, just a few explanations ...

Say hello to May!  She's in the fic now, along with a vague mention of Team Rocket.  I realise I haven't put them in the fic at all, and I'm sorry to all Team Rocket fans ...  But, Team Rocket and JJM WILL be in the fic, soon!  What would have happened to them all in the meantime?

Don't worry about that close kiss between Brock and Misty, BEFORE anyone accuses me of betraying AAML.  If you're interested ... I did entertain the idea of that kiss actually happening, actually writing it out!  But, I figured Ash probably wouldn't forgive Brock fully, therefore there would be tension, so I deleted it.  Gymshippers, settle for a close-but-not-close-enough.

One day when I was ill, I read through an online guide to pregnancy.  Lol, I know ...   And it said around the 26 week mark, you can get dizziness from low sugar levels.  It didn't mention fainting, but you never know, do you?

And now, Ash's Dad, explained.  Most people assume that Delia was married to him, but I don't think I've seen evidence to say that she was.  And it's nice to see her be happy with someone APART from Oak.  Sorry Eldershippers!

And what's Daniels secret?  Does he really care for Delia, or is he using her for Team Rocket?

Find out next time!  REVIEW PLEASE!  I love them ... It's that button on the left ...


	5. Home truths, and escaping from the enemy

Disclaimer: It's really hard to keep on thinking new ones!  Well, since I'm REALLY tired, I'll tell you it's not from working on new Pokémon eps that's made me tired, it's SCHOOL!

To start off with ...  I have one simple request:  READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH!  Events in this part are NOT as they appear to be, and don't tune out!  PLEASE!?

Now ... enjoy!  

A Year in the Life of AAML 

It had only been a month ...  But to Delia, it had been the most wonderful month of her life.

It was the late weeks of a sweltering July, where temperatures had been recorded as the highest ever.  Ash and Misty were sat outside in the garden under a large beach umbrella.  They were the only two left, Brock having decided to go home and check on his brother at the Gym.  May had gone with him, on her way to take on the Indigo League.  They had left three weeks ago, Brock promising to be back within 4 or 5 weeks.  May, on the other hand, had promised to call after every important battle.

"It's so quiet around here now," Delia commentated, sitting out in the garden next to Daniel.  Her eyes watched as Pikachu and Togepi played together, running around and playing Tag.

"I'd have thought that was what you wanted?" he asked her, Delia turning to look at him.  "Y'know, peace and quiet before there's a screaming baby in the house?"

"Thanks Dan, I feel a whole lot better!" Misty called sarcastically from her seat not far away.  She turned around to look at them.

"Glad I could help," he retorted, raising his glass of lemonade to Delia's and clinking them together in victory.  They took a sip from them before Dan leaned down and kissed her.

"Awwwww!" Misty exclaimed in playful voice, raising her fingers and wolf-whistling at them.  In doing so, she woke the sleeping form next to her who shot up in surprise.

"I'm late!" Ash shouted out automatically.  Realising where he was, a blush formed on his cheeks and he turned around to see everyone laughing at him.  Their long bout of laughter was cut short by the faint shrill melody of a mobile phone ringing.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Dan apologised as he reached into his trouser pocket for his phone.  Finding it, he took it out, flipped open the silver case, and put it to his ear.  "Hello?" he spoke into it.  A look of realisation and seriousness spread over his face and he said, "hang on a min," before he placed his hand over the phone.  

"Who is it?" Delia asked.

"The hospital.  It's about a patient, so I'll take it over there," he explained, standing up and walking over to the other side of the garden.  "They're not listening now, you're free to speak," he said into the phone.

"Good," came a deep reply from the phone.  "How is your assignment coming?"

"Excellently," he said in a professional, subordinate voice.  "They all trust me implicitly."

There was no reply from the phone, the caller obviously pondering his options.  "Then, we begin tonight."

"Tonight!?" he exclaimed loudly, grabbing him the attention of Ash, Delia and Misty.  He put his hand over the receiver again and quickly explained it was about an operation.  They smiled in understanding and he turned his back to them, bringing the phone back to his mouth.  "Isn't that a little too soon?"  He glanced down at the floor, seeing Pikachu glancing up at him.  He threw him a smile, and turned his back to him.  Seeing that the call was important, Pikachu moved away.

"All the criteria have been met," the voice said bluntly.

"But sir-"

"But nothing!" the voice shouted.  "You will follow your orders Agent A!  Or do I have to send you for rehabilitation!?"

Daniel gulped.  He'd heard about the Team Rocket Rehab Facility and what happened to you there.  "They will be at the Roka Restaurant in Viridian at 8pm night, sir."  After the Boss cut the call, he snapped the phone shut.  No ... he couldn't let himself become emotionally involved with the Ketchum's.  He ran through his Team Rocket training in his head whilst he walked back over to them, the phone being placed back in his pocket.

"Are you ok, sweetie?" Delia asked as he sat back down next to her.  The look of disappointment on his face was immediately replaced with a smile.

"Nothing could be better," he told her.  "Because ... I just managed to book us all a table at the Roka Restaurant, in Viridian, tonight."

"What!?" Misty exclaimed in disbelief, standing up and walking over to him.  "But ... it's so expensive there!"

"Daniel-" Delia began before he interrupted her.

"I insist," he told them all firmly.  "Unfortunately ... " he trailed off, turning to look at Ash and Misty directly.  "No Pokémon are allowed."

"Huh?" Ash said confusedly.  "I thought they had an added-on Pokémon section."

"That was closed down, after a few incidents," he explained.  "Anyway, we eat at quarter-to-eight."

"We'll have to leave at about five-thirty if we're gonna get to Viridian on time," Delia pondered out loud.  "But I think it'll be worth it!"  Kissing Daniel excitedly, she stood up and pulled him up as well, leading him inside the house to help choose an outfit for the evening.

Pikachu, a suspicious look on his face, wandered over to where Ash and Misty were sitting, under their umbrella.  "Pikapi," Pikachu began, Ash sitting up and looking at him.  "Pika ... pika pikachu pi Pichupi."

"What?" Ash said in disbelief.  "Why Pikachu?"

"What's wrong?" Misty asked, sitting up herself and wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"I think Pikachu said that he doesn't trust Dan," Ash informed her.

"Pika pikachu!  Pika pikapika pikachu, pi kakapi ka, "pika pika pikachu!"  Pika pichu!" Pikachu explained, deepening his voice in parts.

"Uh ...  Something about Dan's phone call ... " Ash relayed to Misty, still trying to figure out exactly what Pikachu had just said.

"Pikachu, you shouldn't eavesdrop on people's conversations!" Misty scolded.  "Doctor's have to be confidential about patients!"  Togepi waddled over to them and she picked him up, placing him on top of her bump.

Seeing he was getting nowhere with Misty, Pikachu turned back to Ash, a pleading look in his eyes.  "Pikapi, pika pikachu pichu pika," he asked.

"Pikachu you can't though," Ash told him, reaching out and rubbing his furry head gently.  "No Pokémon allowed, remember?"

Pikachu stared into Ash's eyes, contemplating his thought.  He didn't want to, but he had to.  This was too bad a feeling for him to ignore.  "Pikapi ... pika pika pi."

"Pikachu ... " Ash sighed out.  "You'd ... be willing to do that?  Even though there's no danger?"

"What did he say?" Misty asked Ash.  Togepi's face displayed a look of utter shock.

"He said he'll go in his Poké ball," Ash said quietly.  "But ... Pikachu, there's no-"

"Pikapi, pi pi!" he shouted, finalising his decision.  Ash, realising he wouldn't win this argument, nodded his head.

"I don't know why ... but if you want to," Ash reluctantly said.  Pikachu smiled happily and jumped into Ash's lap, hugging him as hard as he could.  Ash hugged back, confused at Pikachu's action and decision.  He trusted Pikachu implicitly and his instincts as well.  But, at the same time, he trusted Dan.  His Mom was so happy with him.  He smiled down at Pikachu, deciding to let him do this if he wanted to, even though he thought it was a complete wild Pidgey-chase.

"Hey Tracey," Ash greeted as he opened up the door to the Lab.  Almost immediately a thundering of approaching footsteps could be heard, before Bayleef launched herself past Tracey into Ash, forcing him to the ground.  Pikachu and Togepi moved out of the way, not wanting to be trampled or squashed.

"Bayleef!" Ash called out playfully.  "Don't do that, I need this suit in one piece!"  Bayleef called out in understanding and climbed off of Ash, allowing him to stand up and wipe his new tuxedo clean.

"You said you wanted to come in," Tracey reminded him, walking into the Lab with Bayleef following him.  Ash picked up Togepi and Pikachu, closing the Lab door behind him.

"Tracey, I need you to keep a secret," Ash pleaded of him, putting Pikachu and Togepi down on the table.  "I only need you to look after Togepi, but say you also looked after Pikachu."

"Why?" Tracey asked him.  

"Pikachu wants to come with me," Ash informed him, reaching into the pocket inside his jacket.  "He's got a bad feeling about this, and I tried to tell him otherwise ...  But he wouldn't listen."

"Ash, the only way to get Pokémon into the Roka Restaurant is ... " he trailed off as he saw what Ash had taken out of his pocket.  

"He's going in the Poké ball," Ash said with reluctance, holding the thunderbolt-marked object in his hand.  Pikachu looked at him sadly, but straightened up his body and clenched his paws together.

"Pikapi, pikachu!" he shouted out, summoning all of his courage.  He hated this.  He really hated this.  Ever since that day ... 

It was a bright, sunny day over 8 years ago.  Pikachu was running around in the forest, playing with the younger Pikachu and Pichu.  He heard softly approaching footsteps and the snapping of twigs.  He signalled his playmates, telling them to run back home and tell the head Pikachu that there were people in the forest.  After hearing their brief protests, Pikachu forced them to leave and ran over to where the intruder was.

"Oh, hello there!" a kind voice exclaimed.  Pikachu froze and turned round to see an old human man standing there with a clipboard and a large bag on his shoulder.

"Pika pikachu!" he shouted in as threatening a voice as he could muster.  He was secretly scared inside, scared at the thought of what Pokémon the man could throw out at him and make him battle.

"Don't worry, Pikachu," the man assured him.  "My name's Oak."

"Pika pika pichu!" he told the man, his least care in the world being what the man's name was.

"Pikachu, I was wondering if you'd do me a favour," Oak began, kneeling down to the ground.  "You see ... I've got this problem.  Pretty soon we'll have four new trainers leaving Pallet Town to begin their journey.  But, there's only three Pokémon available.  So ... I have to catch one, or there'll be one disappointed trainer.  Most likely Ketchum, if his class attendance record goes by anything ... "

Pikachu shook his head defiantly, watching as the man put his hand into his bag and pulled out a Poké ball.  "Chu pika pi!" he shouted angrily.

"I'm sorry Pikachu," he apologised, holding the Poké ball out.  "This is my last chance to catch a Pokémon for that fourth trainer, and you're the only one aside from a Magikarp that I've seen all day."

"Pikaaaaaaaaa!" he cried out loud, hoping his friends would hear him.  He watched the man with a reluctant look on his face throw the Poké ball towards him.  He tried to run away but to no avail, the ball hit him and he fell to the ground.

It was then a strange sensation came over him, a tingling as a wash of red flooded his eyes.  He saw the grass under his eyes grow larger and larger, whilst feel himself being pulled up into the air.  It seemed so slow to him ... but then as reality caught up with him, he realised he was caged inside a dark prison.  Darkness ...  The walls so near to him ...  He ran against the walls, feeling his prison tilt slightly with each onslaught.  Rock ...  Tilt ...  He felt his energy being sucked away from him rapidly.  It was harder to struggle, to put up a fight.  

Despaired, frightened and his will broken, he collapsed on the floor of his confinement.  He was trapped ... in more ways than one.  As the walls closed in on him, he shut his eyes to block it out and began singing a song they'd always sing around a campfire at night.  And as the instinctive knowledge settled in that he was captive to this Poké ball, he fainted.

Seeing the fear on Pikachu's face, Ash didn't think he had the heart to do this to Pikachu.  When Pikachu's life had been in serious danger he had refused to go into his Poké ball, and now, when Ash saw nothing was wrong, Pikachu was so determined to go in.  "Pikachu," he began, "I don't think I can-"

"Pikapi pi!!!" Pikachu shouted out, sparks coming from his cheeks.  Togepi dashed to the other side of the table, not wanting to get hurt.  He couldn't believe what Pikachu was about to do ... 

"Pikachu!" Ash called out, holding the Poké ball out directly in front of him.  " ... Return."  As like with all of his other Pokémon, the red light shot out and engulfed Pikachu.  Ash watched as his eyes widened in shock and he was pulled inside the Poké ball.  When Pikachu had completely gone inside, Ash pulled his arm close to him.  "You did it buddy," he whispered, before pressing the button on the centre of the ball.  The Poké ball shrank in size and he placed it back inside his jacket.

"He did it ... " Tracey murmured in disbelief.  "Poor guy, he must have hated it."

"Not half as much as me," Ash told him, straightening up.  "Do I look ok?"

"Knock her dead," Tracey encouraged.  Smiling, Ash left Tracey in the Lab and climbed into the back seat of Daniel's car, next to Misty.  

While Dan was busy turning the engine on, Misty turned to whisper in Ash's ear.  "Did he do it?"

Ash kissed her on her cheek and lightly patted his chest.  "Yeah," he replied.  Taking her hand in his, they began the long drive to the restaurant.

"It's ... so ... wow!" Delia exclaimed as she stepped out of the car in front of the restaurant.  Dan, Misty and Ash also stepped out, Dan handing the keys to the chauffeur.  As the car was driven away, the group of four walked into the entrance of the cinema.  Ash kept on throwing glances in Misty's direction, amazed at how lovely she looked in her shimmering blue dress.  It had taken her forever to choose it when they had bought it, Misty wanting something that would lessen the size of her bump.

"Welcome to the Roka Restaurant," a man greeted wearing a white waiter's shirt and black trousers.  "I hope you have booked a reservation, as we're quite busy tonight."

Dan looked him squarely in the eye.  "Hanson," he informed the waiter.  "Seven forty-five."  The man's eyebrows raised in recognition as he scrolled down a list of names behind his post desk.  "Ah yes," he confirmed.  "Slightly late sir.  Table 13.  If you'll just go take a seat over there," he directed them, pointing his hand in the right direction.  They all thanked the man, Misty's mood dropping when she saw his disapproving glance towards her as they walked away.  

"I wish people would stop doing that," she said sadly as they sat down at their table, Ash holding Misty's chair out for her.

"What's happened, dear?" Delia asked, Ash and Dan taking their seats next to Misty and Delia respectively.

"People looking at me, like ... " Misty sighed out.  "I know, I really should be used to this by now, but-"

"But nothing," Ash gently silenced her, placing a reassuring hand on top of hers, resting them both on the table.  "They're just stupid, prejudice, jealous morons," Ash whispered, leaning over and kissing her.  The sound of someone clearing their throat broke their kiss.

"Are you ready to order?" a woman asked them, flicking her pen against her notepad.  Separating from their kiss, Ash and Misty sheepishly picked up a menu each, glancing at Delia and Dan as they told their choices to the waitress.  Ash and Misty doing the same, the woman took the menus from them and moved away to inform the chef's of their choice.

"Dan, how are you going to afford this?" Misty asked him.

"Misty, no more arguments," Dan said firmly.  "This is my treat, and all of you deserve it.  Have whatever you want."  He smiled at all three of them, and then glanced down nervously at his watch.

"Something wrong?" Delia wondered, noticing how quickly Dan's mood had changed.  

"No, no," he reassured her.  "I ... was just seeing what the time was."  He let his eyes wander again to his watch.  20:01 ...  

"Well Dan, if we can have whatever we want, then I will certainly take you up on that!" Ash joked, eliciting a playful nudge from Misty.

"Leave it to you to say something like that!" Misty retorted playfully, making all of them laugh.

A commotion growing gradually in volume interrupted Ash's planned retaliation to Misty's statement.  He turned around in his chair to see the same waiter man that they had spoken to at the entrance of the restaurant, arguing with a man whom he couldn't see from his seat.  Eventually the man gave and exasperatedly sighed, before marching loudly out of the restaurant.  The waiter seemed overly relieved, wiping his forehead with his hand before heading back to his post.

"Ash?" Misty asked him, interrupting his thoughts.  "What's wrong?"  He turned back round to face them all.

"It was nothing," Ash told them.  "Just an unsatisfied customer, I think."  A loud shriek came zooming towards them and all four of them jumped up from their table, Ash and Misty turning around.

"Bomb!" a female voice relayed over what had quickly become an all-out panic.

"Bomb!?" Ash and Misty exclaimed together.  Almost as soon as they had said it, a thundering blast shook the restaurant sending a thick grey cloud with it.  Ash instinctively pulled Misty close to him, feeling small pieces of the ceiling plaster drop on his head.

"Dan?" Delia called out in the confusion, reaching for his hand.  Instead, it rested on Ash's shoulder.

"Mom!?" Ash cried into the chaos.  "We need to get out of here!"

"What about Dan!?" Delia panicked.  "We can't-"

"Delia!" Misty shouted out to her, finding her hand and gripping it.  "Dan's a doctor, he'll be helping people.  He'll also want us to get out of here!"  The smoke began to overwhelm her, and Misty began coughing.

"Come on!" Ash ordered, and he began moving towards where the front entrance had been, keeping their heads down and out of the way.  Ash lead them with Misty walking at the side of him, Delia tagging along behind them.  But in their vision-impaired environment they walked into someone blocking their way.

"Move it mister!" Misty called out.  "We need to get out of here!"

"You're not going anywhere, except with us," a deep voice boomed out.  They raised their heads in the now thinning smoke to see a well-built man standing in their way, two more flanking him behind.  They wore black uniforms, with black strips covering their eyes.  A symbol well known to Ash and Misty was on the chest of their uniforms, in bright red.

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried out immediately, briefly remembering all the times he had done that when he had been on his Pokémon journey.  "Mom, Misty, run for it!"

"But Ash-" Misty protested, being silenced by a quick and brief kiss from Ash.  Before she could protest, she felt herself being tugged away by Delia.

"Go!" he called off to them, turning back round to face the members of Team Rocket.  "What do you want?" he asked them defiantly.  

"All three of you," the lead man said, striking the fear into Ash.

"You take me and leave my Mom and Misty alone!"  

"No," a member standing behind the large man said, holding up a gun.  Before Ash could move out of the way, the gun was fired and Ash felt a sharp prick on his left shoulder.  He turned his head and looked down at it, moving his hand up slowly and pulling it out.  He felt the energy being sucked from him and he crumpled down to his knees.  His vision blurred, and before he lost consciousness he felt himself being picked up.

Misty and Delia, meanwhile, were still trying to find their way out through all the commotion.  Misty had stumbled over, cutting her leg slightly and tearing her dress, whilst a light piece of plaster had stuck in Delia's hair.  Misty was torn up at leaving Ash all on his own to fight Team Rocket, but she knew that deep down inside, Ash could look after himself.  

"Stop!" a female voice cried out to them.  There was a slight pause where Misty and Delia stopped, wondering if they really heard a voice, or if they were making it up.  "Help me!"

"What's wrong!?" Misty asked over the loud atmosphere, moving to where she heard the voice coming from.  Her hand was still gripping Delia's and they were now both coughing through the smoke.  All Misty wanted to do was to get out of there and make sure herself, Delia, Ash and their baby were ok.  But she wasn't the kind of person who could leave anyone who was in danger.  

"I'm trapped!" she replied, the voice close to them.  Reaching the edge of a dining cubicle, Misty rounded the corner to see-

"Team Rocket!" Delia shouted in surprise.

"Fooled ya!" the women said in an arrogant tone.  She wore a uniform different to the other men she had seen earlier.  She wore a small black dress with the large red 'R' emblem, as well as black tights.  A white cap rested on top of her brown hair.

"Who the hell are you?" Misty asked angrily.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," the woman gloated.  "I'm one of the highest Team Rocket Agents there are.  I'm Double-O-Five, Angel.  But I'm known throughout the ranks of Team Rocket by the code name Black Cat.  Anyway, that's not important right now.  The boss of Team Rocket requests your company."

"We're not going anywhere near Giovanni!" Delia shouted defiantly, stepping closer to Angel.  A loud sharp noise could be heard and Delia fell to the floor, raising a hand to her cheek.  Misty leant down and helped her to stand up.

"You don't have a say in the matter," a male voice said from behind them.  Recognition hit Misty and Delia, and they turned round to face-

"Dan?" Delia spoke out quietly.  She shook her head in denial.  "Please don't say you're in-"

"Team Rocket?" Angel finished for her, walking over to Dan.  "He's Agent A, the best Team Rocket infiltrator there is.  Double-O-One"

"Enough talk, we need to go," Dan said quickly and professionally, pulling a gun out from his pocket.  Afraid for her baby's life, Misty hugged herself close to Delia.  Seeing her distraught state, Dan couldn't help but reassure her.  "It's a tranquilliser, it won't hurt the baby."  

"That doesn't-" Misty had begun, before being silenced by what she noticed as an arrow sticking out of her right shoulder.  She glanced at Delia, seeing one in her shoulder, and then averted her eyes to Angel, watching her as she lowered her gun.  Next to her Delia fell to the ground with a gasp, pulling Misty along with her.  Noises around her blurred together and she vaguely heard Dan speaking to Angel before walking over to her.  He bent down and heard the word, "sorry," spoken in her ear as she was raised off the ground.

It was then she lost consciousness.

**"Push!"** Ash shouted out to her.  She couldn't exactly refuse him, she being the one who was labour.  Whilst resting back for a few seconds, panting, she glanced at the scenery around her.  A wooden thatched cottage, with Miltank and Tauros grazing in the fields outside.  Ash was by her bedside, gripping her hand.  Sitting up to push hard again, she saw Nurse Joy at the foot of the bed, reaching inside her nightgown.

**"Once more!"** Joy called out to her.  And push once more she did, screaming and feeling Ash kiss her forehead.  Suddenly, the burden coming from within her disappeared and she fell back, exhausted, closing her eyes and feeling Ash kissing her on her cheek and lips.  She thought that time was dragging itself out, because she waited and waited to hear the baby start crying.

**"What's ... wrong?"** she asked nervously, sitting up with Ash's help.  Opening her eyes, she was in the hospital, Doctor Wilson holding her baby, Doctor Hanson standing behind her.

**"Still birth,"** she informed her sadly, holding the baby out to her.  **"Some kind of chemical, like a tranquilliser, essentially put the baby into a coma."**

**"You did this!"** she screamed at Dan, managing to jump out of the bed.  Before she moved to attack him, she turned and looked at Ash, sitting down dejectedly next to the bed.  

**"No, ****you did this,"** he accused, pointing a finger at Misty.  **"You let yourself get shot by him."**  He stood up and walked over to her.  **"****You killed our baby."**  She watched as he walked over to the door of the room.

**"Ash!"** she screamed, running over to him, only to be pushed away onto the floor roughly by him.  

** "Get away from me, I don't wanna see you again,"** he said coldly, looking upon her with hate in his eyes.  Tears filled her eyes as she saw him walk out of the room and down the corridor.

**"Ash!"** she called, crawling along the floor to the open door.  **"ASH!"**

"Ash!" Misty shouted out as woke up from her dream.  Looking up, all she saw were the dimly lit surroundings around her.  Tears gathered when she realised that, like in her dream, she was all alone by herself.  

After several tries, she managed to get herself into a sitting position, and then get herself standing on her feet, leaning against the cold, yet smooth and damp wall that she assumed was made of stone.  Seeing the bars that were to her right, Misty walked over to them and leaned against them, trying to see down the corridor.  She glanced a clock on the wall and managed to make out that it was 19:03, and that the date was the 25th.  Wait a minute ...  It had been the 23rd when they had gone to the restaurant.  Did that mean she had been knocked-out for two whole days?  Suddenly hearing footsteps approach, Misty moved away from the bars and into the centre of her cell.

"How are you Misty?" a voice wafted down the corridor from.  Angel appeared in front of her, two low-rank Team Rocket men carrying a large bundle between the two of them.  "Don't try anything," she warned, Misty noticing the handgun that was attached to her skirt.  Angel unlocked the door to her cell, allowing the two Rocket Grunts to walk in and drop their bundle on the floor, a moan coming from inside of it.  As they exited and Angel locked the door, Misty moved over and removed the blanket that covered the person.

"Ash!" she exclaimed in surprised, seeing his unconscious form wrapped inside.  She placed a hand on his cheek and tried to wake him up.

Angel laughed as she watched her.  "Here's that precious boyfriend of yours, all gift-wrapped."

"Bitch ... " Misty spoke in a low, quiet voice, diverting her attention from Ash.  

"You can talk honey," Angel spat out, moving closer to her.  "Pregnant at your age, with a 7-year Pokémon Trainer who's yet to win a tournament.  No job, no money, no security ... " Seeing Misty's depressed face, Angel realised she was having an effect on her and moved even closer to the bars.  "And who's to say that Ash'll hang around when the bastard-child's born?  I mean, he didn't exactly vow to stay with you, did he?  I don't see a ring on that finger, do I?"

"Shut up," a hoarse voice spoke out angrily.  Misty glanced downwards, seeing Ash's eyes move to look up at her.  "At least she's ever been loved by someone."  

Fuming, Angel stepped away and closed her eyes briefly, quickly removing the anger that had settled in on her face.  "You'll find water in the corner over there."  Without saying another word, she marched out of their 'cave', the two Rocket members following quickly after her.  

"Ash, are you ok?" Misty asked quickly, helping him stand up to his feet.  Almost the second he was stable, he grabbed Misty and held him close to her.

"Are you ok?" he asked her back, making her giggle slightly.  Feeling her nod against his shoulder, Ash separated them so he could kiss her.

"Where's your Mom?" Misty managed to speak out after their kiss.  Ash stared at her blankly for a few seconds, thinking in his mind.

"Isn't she here?"  Misty shook her head.  

"She's here," a male voice spoke from the other side of the bars.  Ash and Misty turned around to see the door swing open and Dan walk in, Delia in his arms.  Ash watched, gob-smacked at seeing him in a Team Rocket uniform, as he placed her down on the floor quickly.

"You!" Misty cried out, moving forward to try and grab a hold of him, only to find herself restrained by Ash.  "Why did you do this!?"  Not wanting to have a fight with a pregnant woman, Dan exited their cell as fast as he could without making himself looked scared of them.

"I was ordered to," he told them with slight regret in his voice.  "Delia's not hurt, I made sure-"

"Don't you use her name," Ash warned in a low voice.  He let go of Misty and they both hurried over to Delia, Ash pulling her up to a sitting position.  "Mom," he whispered.  "Mom, wake up."

"Everything was a lie, wasn't it?" Misty asked him angrily, looking straight through the bars at him.  "You didn't care about our family one bit, did you?"

"I-" Dan started loudly, suddenly remembering that she shouldn't be talking to them in the first place.  "I did care," he whispered.  "I do care."

"Then why won't you let us go!?" Misty shouted angrily.  The compassionate look that had been in his eyes was replaced with a firm one, and he reached and tapped on his belt.  A low-voltage zap of electricity shot through the bars, causing Misty to pull her arms back quickly, breathing heavily from the shock.

"Leave her alone!" Ash demanded, putting an arm around an exhausted Delia and helping her to stand up.  As soon as Delia saw Dan on the other side of the bars she separated herself from her son and walked over to them.  Ash moved to Misty's side and hugged her.

Delia's hands were clenched into fists by her side.  She was feeling too many things all at once.  All the things she wanted to ask him, say to him, and do to him.  But one thing she wouldn't let herself do was cry.  "I don't see how you have the nerve to be standing here right now."

"I can stand wherever the hell I want.  I'm not the one who's being held in Team Rocket's most secure containment facility."  Not wanting to have an argument, he turned to walk away.  "Oh ...  The Boss of Team Rocket will want to see you soon.  I'd be honoured if I were you."

"Why?"  Delia asked him, standing up for herself.  "That Boss of Team Rocket is just a man living in his mother's shadow."  She giggled slightly to herself.  "I don't know how he can look after an entire criminal organisation, when he couldn't even look after a Pidgey properly!"

Dan turned his head to look her in the eyes.  "People change," is all he said, as he set off walking down the corridor.  Despite herself, Delia breathed a deep sigh of relief, and turned round to see Ash and Misty staring at her.

"You know a lot about Team Rocket, Mom," Ash said with slight awe.

"Well, that's because unfortunately ... " she trailed off, tears gathering in her eyes.  

"Delia?" Misty asked her gently.  

"I knew Giovanni before his Mom died," she told them.  "I suppose, in a way, me, your father and him were a bit like you two and Brock were when you were a little younger."  Realising what she had said, she corrected it.  "Of course I'm not saying that Brock's gonna turn into a criminal, I mean that we were all very good friends."  She smiled as she looked at the two of them.  "And yes, me and your father paired off together just like you two did."

Feeling the romance from that story, Misty placed one arm around Ash's waist and leaned her head against his shoulder.  "I wanna get out of here," she whispered suddenly.  Ash pulled her to him and hugged her again, Misty resting her hand on his chest.  Delia moved over to them and put her arms around Ash, all taking comfort from each other.

"We'll be ok, honey," Delia comforted both of them.  

"Huh?" Misty exclaimed slightly, feeling a small bump underneath her hand.  "Ash, what ... " she trailed off, a smile brightening her face.  "Pikachu!"

"Where?" Delia asked, separating from them in surprise and turning in a circle as she looked.  Misty also removed herself from Ash, allowing him to reach inside his jacket and take out the Poké ball.

"Here," Ash said, holding out the Poké ball.

"How did you get Pikachu to go in there?" Delia questioned him with amazement.

"Long story, Mom," Ash answered, throwing the Poké ball.  "Go!" he commanded, throwing the ball.  It hit the ground with a smack, the ball opening and raising itself up into the air.  In a flash of bright light, Pikachu appeared before their eyes and the ball returned automatically to Ash's hand.

"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu seemed to almost curse, shaking himself.  Blinking his eyes, he saw a messed-up Ash standing in front of him.  "Pikapi!" he cried, launching himself at Ash.

"Pikachu!" Ash called happily, hugging him close to him.  Suddenly the serious of their situation hit home and Pikachu stopped hugging and looked around at their surroundings.  "You were right Pikachu," Ash admitted.  "Dan was up to something."  Seeing the anger in Pikachu's eyes, Ash carried on.  "He's one of Team Rocket's best agents."

"Pikapi, pi pikachu!" Pikachu reminded him.  Ash smiled.  

Even more footsteps were heard approaching from down the corridor, interrupting the ray of hope that had settled within the three of them.  Seeing the quick and panicked look that Misty threw him, Ash shrank the Poké ball and put it into his pocket.  Then, taking Pikachu with him, he hurried over to the wall furthest from the bars and lay down on the floor, facing the wall with Pikachu tucked up against him.

"Is poor Ashy sick?" Angel asked as she stopped in front of their cell, a Rocket Grunt placing a tray with three plates on it under the narrow space the bars left above the floor.  At her 'diagnosis' of him, Ash coughed, pretending to be sickly.  "I doubt he'll want his meal then."

"Like you care," Delia retorted, moving over to see if Ash was 'ok', Misty standing looking at Angel with her arms crossed over her bump.  "But then again, all you care about is yourself, isn't it?"

"Now, remind me where Dan's birth mark is, Delia," Angel asked her, trying to get her own back.  "Is it on his right hip or his left upper thigh?  Hmmm ... "  She smirked when she noticed the look of jealousy flit across Delia's face.  "I'll just go and check," she thought out loud, her voice thick with smugness.

"Permission to be excused, Black Cat," a young and tall Rocket Grunt requested from her, hand raised to his head in a salute.  When she spoke her acknowledgement and walked off, his eyes wandered to those of Misty's.  She watched the surprise on his face when he realised she was pregnant, and she placed a protective hand over where her baby rested.  Her eyes pleaded with his, seeing the conflict on his face.  But, in the end, his obedience to his employer won over, his eyes changing to a neutral gaze as he turned sharply, marching out.

"Why did it take so long for him to leave?" Ash asked when his marching was out of hearing range.  He stood up from the floor, Pikachu climbing onto Ash's shoulder.

"I think he was a little surprised when he saw me," Misty replied honestly.  She walked over to the door of their cage, shaking it with her hands.  "Ash, could Pikachu break the lock?"

"Pika ...  Pika pikachu!" Pikachu promised, jumping down from Ash's shoulder and hurrying over to the door.  Misty picking him up, Pikachu looked into the lock, reaching a paw in and fiddling around inside of it.

"Pikachu, I meant ... " Misty trailed off, watching as the door swung open and Pikachu jumped out of her arms.  "To shock it," she finished, looking back at Ash, Pikachu now sitting back on his shoulder.  "Never mind."

"What are we waiting for?" Delia asked them, walking out of the door, Ash following after her, grabbing Misty's hand and leading her.  Out in the corridor they took the route that Angel had taken on her way out and walked along it, their footsteps echoing around them.  They exited the area where the cells were and walked along a narrow corridor.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu warned them all, jumping down from Ash and hurrying ahead of them.  Ash let go of Misty's hand and walked ahead after Pikachu.

"Pikachu!  What's-" Ash stopped, seeing who was standing in front of him.  It was Angel, pointing the barrel of her gun in his face.

"One move and he's dead," she warned them all, stepping closer to Ash.  As she pressed the gun into the side of Ash's head he saw the Rocket Grunt behind her holding Pikachu in his hands, rubber gloves protecting him from the sparks that were flying out of his cheeks.  "You really thought that I didn't notice your little rat?" she asked him, laughing slightly.  Two more Rocket Grunts passed them and walked to Misty and Delia, each taking one firmly by the arms.

"Where are you taking us?" Ash asked Angel.  Quicker than he could avoid, the hand with the gun moved to hit him sharply across his cheek.  The impact made him fall into the wall less than a foot away.  Pushing himself back up, fighting against the pain, he felt the gun press back into his head again.  Behind him he could hear Misty gasp in surprise,

"Silence," Angel ordered.  "I'd have thought you'd get it by now, Ketchum."  She glared at him before breaking it and looking at her subordinates holding Misty and Delia, moving her head to indicate that they should move ahead of her.  That they did and all of them walked along the winding corridors, taking various turns of left and right.  After what Ash guessed was a minute or two, they exited the rock tunnels and now they began walking along a metallic corridor, various people dressed in Rocket uniforms and lab coats, some in pairs or on their own.  

Then in front of them Misty, who had been looking like she had been struggling from the effort of their marching captives, tripped over her tired legs and fell on her knees, her escort pulling on her to get her standing again, but only succeeding in giving her friction burn against the sleeveless dress.  "Get up," the Grunt ordered, their moving group coming to a halt.

"I ... can't," she said against exhausted breaths.  It was then that, in Ash's opinion, Angel went one too far and took the gun away from Ash's head, pointing it straight at Misty.

"Get up!" she shouted with authority.

"No!" Ash cried, managing to pry himself away from her grasp and place himself between Misty and the gun, spreading his arms wide.  "Shoot me, not her!"

"Ash, no!" Delia and Misty protested together.  They heard someone clearing their throat and they all turned their heads to see who it was.

"What's going on here, Double-O-Five?" asked Dan as he leaned forwards and removed the gun from Angel's hand.  "There's no need to put a bullet in his head just because he wants to help her stand up."  As they were speaking, Ash had helped Misty to her feet and they were now hugging each other as if they couldn't let go.

"Dan-" Angel began, being cut off.

"Sir," he corrected.  "Now, I believe that Giovanni has requested your company, and it isn't right to keep him waiting is it?"  He moved to the front of the group, putting on a pair of gloves he had just taken out of his pocket.  Reaching the Grunt who was holding Pikachu, Dan picked up Pikachu and walked to Ash, handing him back.

"What are you-" Angel started before being cut off again.

"Let go of her," Dan ordered to the Grunt who still had a firm hold on Delia.  He complied, moving to stand at attention a short distance away.  "They're prisoners, not criminal.  There's no need for excessive violence," he commented on the bruise that was appearing on Ash's face, moving back to stand next to Angel.  "Let them walk together, Pokémon too."

"It might be the last time you're all together," Angel told them, laughing slightly.  Ash, restraining the urge to smack them all in the face, grasped the hands of his Mom and Misty, who were standing either side of him.  Pikachu had climbed up onto Ash's shoulder, clinging carefully to the hair that had now lost its hold from the gel, sticking out all ways.  "Move out," she ordered, and they began their marching again.

They continued walking for a further five or so minutes, Dan stopping them briefly when he saw Misty was again getting out of breath.  Every time he did this Angel had to stop herself from exploding at him, making Ash want to laugh at her.  It was the only thing that made him want to laugh.  As they neared the end of the corridor, Ash was glancing around, wondering just how big the Rocket facility was, and how they managed to keep it concealed from the Police, Ash having heard so many times from Officer Jenny's that they had no idea where Team Rocket worked, all the undercover officers having been killed.

"We're almost there," Dan informed them.  They reached the end of the hallway and Dan pulled a card out of his uniform, swiping it through a device that was attached to the wall.  The red light that was displayed to them turned green and the walls swished open, revealing an elevator.  The group of three were 'encouraged' inside, only Dan and Angel following them.  The Rocket Grunts only stood to attention as Dan pressed the button and the doors closed, the elevator beginning its journey.  

"If your rat tries anything in here, the girl will get it," Angel warned.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried angrily, glaring at Angel.  Ash's hand, separated from Delia for a second, wandered up to Pikachu and touched his paw, trying to calm him down.  

Angel paused a moment, eyes showing surprise for a fraction of a second before returning back to normal.  "My, my, such rude words for such a young Pikachu," she commented, Pikachu suddenly looking very nervous at a reference to his age.  

"Pikachu's not young," Ash fought back.

"Then you know nothing about your Pikachu," Angel silenced him.  "Whereas Team Rocket, we know all about him, just from a simple Pokémon scan.  For example, we know that Pikachu had barely just evolved when he was introduced to that Poké ball of his, and he wasn't even a year old.  For a wild Pichu/Pikachu, its evolution was extremely fast.  But, with Pokémon that evolve too quickly, they miss out on some interpersonal skills, and usually have a weakness somewhere mentally.  A weakness that is very easy to exploit."

"Angel ... " Dan warned her softly, not wanting her to start an argument.

"And another fascinating subject," she began, turning her head towards Misty.  "Togepi."

"What about him?" Misty asked, suddenly worried.  She felt a squeeze on her hand from Ash, and she returned it.

"Well, your Togepi is unbelievably behind in its growth.  Only about a year and a half behind Pikachu, it should have learned far more attacks than it does now.  But, having been mothered by an unloved child all his life, I'm not surprised it hasn't evolved yet, meaning there's some defect in the happiness he feels."

"Are we talking about Misty's Togepi or yours?" Ash asked cockily, referring to the 'unloved' part of her explanation.

"If I'd have hit you just a little higher, you'd be in a coma now, Ketchum," Angel reminded him, stopping as the lift slowed and came to a halt.  As the doors opened, they walked out to a setting another world apart from the sparse militaristic corridor they had walked along.  Plush red carpets lay beneath their shoes, dark wood panelling furnishing the walls that they passed.  They stopped in front of two very large oak doors, Dan and Angel holding Misty and Delia back.

"You two first, Ash," Dan said, referring to Ash and Pikachu.  Dread quickly filling Ash's heart, he removed his hand from Misty, turning around and kissing her desperately.  He hoped deep in his heart this wouldn't be the last time he saw her.  

"I love you," Ash whispered against her ear, running his hand across her belly.  Pulling apart from her and seeing the tears forming in his eyes, he quickly hugged his mother.

"And don't have the rat try anything, thunder attacks won't work," Angel informed him, a wide smirk on her face.  As Ash took a deep breath and, after opening the doors, entered the room that lay beyond, the tears that she had fought back ran their course and Misty fell against Delia, crying quietly as Dan closed the doors.

Inside, Ash entered a room furnished the same as the corridor they had walked along after exiting the lift.  A fire burned in the corner but Ash got the feel that it was not real, the room itself being cool, temperature wise.  Then, behind the large wooden desk, Ash saw a huge leather chair, turned away and facing the bookshelf behind the desk.  Ash was ready to burst out laughing at how everything seemed so James Bond like, until the chair turned around quickly, revealing their captor, and the current leader of Team Rocket.

"We finally meet, Ash Ketchum," he greeted.  Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and stood by Ash's feet, ready to pounce if the order was given.

"Giovanni," Ash returned.  He clenched his hands into fists, trying not to lose it and go for him after all he and his minions had done to them.

"You don't remember me, do you?" he asked, puzzling both Ash and Pikachu at the same time.  "Not saying that you would, the last time you saw me was when you were a baby."

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean?  I'm your father, Ash," Giovanni said, a smile on his face.  Ash's face, on the other hand, displayed nothing but total and utter shock.  

"No," he stuttered out.  "M-Mark was my father.  You were just ... Brock," he said, not able to think of a better word in his bemused state.  

"Your mother was with me first, and when she first told the two of us she was pregnant, it was about the same day that me and her had ... you know," he informed Ash.  "Your mother had decided to move onto Mark by then, but-"

"But nothing!" Ash shouted, making Giovanni flinch slightly in surprise at his outburst.  "I think my mother would know who's the father of her only child!"

"Enough of this!" Giovanni exploded.  "You are my child, no matter how hard you will deny it, and it is your duty to carry on this family's tradition!"

"What tradition!?" Ash shouted, not really caring.  Pikachu jumped back onto Ash's shoulder, going along for the ride as Ash started walking back towards the door.

"The Team Rocket tradition!" he shouted.  Ash stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly.

"You expect me to become the leader of Team Rocket?" Ash asked him, the room holding an uncomfortable silence around them, Giovanni thinking up his next move.  Ash, personally, couldn't believe that Giovanni expected him to do that, that after so many years of foiling the amateur plots of Jessie, James and Meowth, he expected him to become the ultimate master mind behind all the schemes of Team Rocket.  "I won't, and never will, leave the life I have now."

"Well ... " Giovanni sighed reluctantly.  "I suppose, I'll have to get rid of the one thing that ties you to your old life."  He walked back round to the other side of his desk and pressed a button, opening a side door in the room that wasn't noticeable, it being covered in the same wood panelling.  Giovanni reached into his desk drawer as a figure emerged from the opening.

"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, happy at her presence.  Noticing him, her eyes widened with happiness and she began to move towards him.  It was then, that time slowed down for Ash as a loud bang was heard throughout the room and Misty stopped in her movements, pain slowly overtaking the smile that had been on her face.  Ash's smile faded from his face, replaced with horror when he noticed the blood that had appeared on her dress, near to ... her heart.

"No!" Ash screamed, feeling dizzy as time caught up with him.  Misty turned around to see who had shot her, another bang being heard fired.  Misty turned back to Ash, Ash being able to see all too clearly where Giovanni had shot her a second time.  The baby ...  Their baby ...  Murdered, right in front of his eyes.  He rushed forwards and caught her, Misty collapsing to the floor as the life drained away from her.

"No," she whispered weakly.  "Ash ... " she trailed off, her breathing ceasing as a cascade of tears fell on her from both Ash and Pikachu, who jumped down next to her.

"Misty!" he shouted, holding her close to him.  It couldn't end like this for them.  In the space of five seconds, the man who presumed to be his father had shot dead his entire future.  As Ash sobbed into her dead form, flashes of what their life could have been together rushed through his mind.  Proposing to her ...  Marrying her ...  More children together ...  Growing old together ...  His dreams had been crushed in an instant, and now all Ash wanted to do was die along with her.

Inside, he felt his heart being ripped apart by his grief, his will for living being starved of oxygen.  If only he'd left the baby ...  The baby might have stood a chance ...  It was something, anything to remind him of her.  Placing her down on the floor, needing to do something to stop her leaving him, Ash opened her mouth and gave her the kiss of life.  Maybe that would work.  Misty couldn't die, she wasn't the type, she was just taking time-out, right?  Eventually seeing the hopelessness of his actions, Ash gave up unwillingly and the tears began to fall again.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu sobbed out, his own grief, along with his Trainers grief, overwhelming him completely.  Ash noticed him through his tear-filled eyes and Pikachu jumped to him, Ash hugging him as tightly as he could.  Not wanting to be away from her, Ash leaned over her still form, himself and Pikachu crying into her.  

"Ash," a soothing voice came, as well as a hand placed on his shoulder.  Ash's head lifted up and his eyes filled with rage recognising the voice of her killer.  Pikachu now clinging onto Misty instead of Ash, Ash jumped up and pounced on Giovanni, knocking him to the floor.  Ash on top of him, he now began punching his face.  Left, right, left, right ...  With every blow, Ash remembered a part of what he had just lost.  Every memory, every experience ...  Their first kiss ... their first real kiss ... that night at Snowela, a dream come true for him ...  

When the pain-filled cries of Giovanni ceased and Ash realised he had lost consciousness, he stood up off him, the aching in his fists starting to have a voice.  It was then his eyes fell on the gun, resting on the desk.  He picked it up in his hand, looking upon the weapon that had destroyed him inside.  He turned around and looked at Misty, then looked back at the gun.  For several seconds he considered using it on himself, but then remembered the man who was standing outside.  The same man who had pretended to love his mother, whilst at the same time arranging this day to happen.  Daniel.  

Fighting against the nausea, Ash began to walk towards the door.  But, suddenly, they opened, Delia rushing inside, hair all messed up.  "Ash!" she shouted, stopping when she saw him, the doors slowing swinging shut behind her.  Her eyes widened and filled with tears when she saw Misty lying on the ground, Pikachu with her.  "No," she sighed in disbelief.  She ran to Ash and hugged him tightly, Ash hugging her like he did when he was a small boy.

"Mommy," he whispered quietly, his legs buckling underneath him.  Delia caught him enough to stop him falling straight to the floor and lowered him down, kneeling and hugging him tightly.  The gun fell from his hands and clunked to the floor, the safety having been placed back on it.  "He ... shot them both," he continued crying.  Pikachu ran over to Delia, nestling himself in between herself and Ash.  They stayed there together, crying at their loss, Delia rocking them backwards and forwards.

"You'll regret that," an angry voice spoke after several minutes of tear-filled silence.  Delia's eyes opened and saw Giovanni in the distance, picking himself off the floor.  Immediately Ash pulled apart from his mother and picked up the gun, pointing it towards Giovanni.  

"Looking for this?" he asked, standing up.  Giovanni turned around to look at him, a smirk on his face as he saw Delia with him, picking herself up.

"It's empty," Giovanni smugly said, laughing when Ash pulled the trigger and only heard a clicking noise.  "Hello Delia."

"You couldn't kill me and Ash eighteen years ago, so you decide to kill Misty and Ash's baby instead?" Delia asked him angrily.  "And even all those years ago, you decide to kill Mark!  Were you born to just destroy Ash's life!?"  Ash looked at his mother in surprise, moving towards Giovanni.  Delia put a hand out to his and gripped it, Ash deciding to stand by her and listen to what was happening.

"Mark wasn't even a part of his life!" Giovanni angrily replied.  "I'm Ash's father!  Delia, don't remember what happened that night after my twenty-first birthday-"

"You raped me," Delia said defiantly, Ash shocked by the truth.  He squeezed her hand reassuringly, giving Delia what she needed to go on.  "You were too drunk and went too far.  I wasn't screaming because you were so fantastic, I was screaming because I wanted to get out of there!  And Mark knew about it, because he helped me through it all.  If Ash's birth wasn't premature, and that medication didn't work, then maybe he would have been your child.  But Ash was eight weeks early, Giovanni.  Ash was conceived eight weeks after you raped me."

"No," he denied, shaking his head.  "Mark said-"

"Mark said what he said because you had a gun pointed at his head!" Delia shouted.  "And then you killed him anyway, and tried to kill me!  But you missed, and I got out of there!"  Delia opened her mouth to continue, but Giovanni beat her to it.

"Lies!" he screamed, hitting a control panel of buttons on his desk.  The noise of machines powering down could be heard, and Misty disappeared from in front of their eyes.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu called out in surprise, jumping off Ash's shoulders to where she had just been resting.

"Misty!" Ash shouted out, moving over to Pikachu, then stopping as he noticed the blood disappearing from his hands.  "What the-"

"Holograms," Delia murmured, walking to stand by Ash, hands on his shoulders.  "Giovanni always used to play around with holograms."  Realising his original plan, Delia's stomach turned itself in knots.  "You were going to let Ash think she had died!?"

"She's alive ... " Ash whispered to himself.  His relief and happiness were accompanied with anger, all directed at one person.  "Where the hell is she!?"

"Will you find her in time?" Giovanni asked him cryptically.  "Black Cat has her orders, and I've just received notification that someone's infiltrated the facility."  Seeing the shock on their faces, Giovanni smiled.  "Ten minutes."  

"Pikachu!" Ash ordered, Pikachu jumping onto his shoulders.  He picked up the empty gun and the poker from the now obvious holographic fire.  He grabbed hold of Delia's hand and pulled her along with him, running out of the room and shutting the door.  He took the poker and pushed it through the handles, stopping anyone from entering or leaving.

"Angel took her this way," Delia told him, leading the way.  They reached another elevator, opening it and pressing the only button in there.  "Dan stayed with me, but when I heard the gunshots, I managed to kick him down and get inside."  Seeing his face at the reminder of his traumatic experience, tears threatened in his eyes again.

"I ...  I wanted to just die with her Mom," Ash spoke as the elevator took them on their journey.  "Everything flashed though my mind, and all I could think about was her."

"Ash, honey," Delia sighed, pulling him into a brief hug, reaching up very slightly and kissing his forehead.  "What he put you through was inhuman, and nothing no one should go through."  The elevator then pinged, indicating they were at their destination, wherever that may be.  Ash held the gun out in front of him, prepared to take hostage of whoever was on the other side of that door.

Instead of a Rocket member in front of them, they were greeted to the sight of a brown-haired girl wearing a red bandana.  Seeing the gun, she screamed her head off loudly and put her hands up.  "Don't shoot, I have so much to live for!" she pleaded.  Opening her squinting eyes, she saw the gun had been lowered, and that Ash Ketchum was looking at her.  "Ash!" she shouted in relief, hugging him tightly for a second.

"What's-" another voice added, before shouting in relief.  "Ash!"

"Brock, May, what are you doing here?" Ash asked, not able to believe it was them he was looking at.

"I called them," yet another voice added to their conversation.

"Tracey?" Delia said in disbelief.  "Look, we need to find Misty."  The three of them moved out of the way so Ash and Delia could step off the elevator before it returned back to Giovanni.

"Looking for this?" a voice asked them from down the corridor.  The whole group all turned around to see Angel, Misty next to her with a gag on her mouth and her wrists tied together.

"Misty!" Ash cried, moving towards her when he noticed the gun pressed into her side.  

"One more move Ketchum, and you'll get to see the live action replay of the show the boss just put on for you," Angel warned them all.

"What's she on about?" May asked quietly.  Delia tapped her shoulder and put a finger to her lips, telling her now was not the best time to ask.  May felt a movement in her bag and out of a pocket popped Togepi, chirping at his new found freedom.  May picked him up and held him in his arms, forgetting for a second that his Trainer and mother was being held at gunpoint a few metres away.

"Take me," Ash offered Angel.  "Let Misty go, and take me instead."

"I got a better idea," Angel thought.  "Since I'm the one with enough ammo in my gun, how about I take you all?"  To prove her point, she took the gun off Misty and held it out at Ash.  "Starting with you, Ketchum.  Let's finish the job started before you were born."

"I don't think so," a voice behind Angel said.  Turning around, wondering who had interrupted her, she was met with a metal bucket being swung at, and hitting, her head.  Stumbling slightly, she fell to the floor, the gun in her hands gliding across the smooth surface of the metal floor.  Ash immediately took the chance to move to Misty, removing the piece of cloth from around her face.  

"Ash-" she began, being cut off by Ash's deep and needing kiss.  She knew what he had been put through, Angel having told her as she had brought her down in the elevator.  Whilst kissing her, his hands moved to hers, undoing the rope that had tied them together behind her back.  When they were free, her hands moved to his face, wiping the tears away that she could feel against her cheeks.

"Team Rocket!" May cried out behind them, causing Ash and Misty's kiss to break, Ash holding Misty close to him.  

"The one and only!" James announced.  "Be thankful, we saved your life."

"Dat's right!" Meowth added.

"We haven't seen you in ages," Brock commented, being cut short by the building shaking around them.

"I'd say 'prepare for trouble' but I think I'd be too late," Jessie said about their situation.  "We've got loads of time for catch up later, but we need to get out of here!" she bossed them.

"We're not gonna argue with that!" Tracey agreed with them.  "Get us out of here!"

All three of them nodding an acknowledgement, Jessie, James and Meowth headed down one of the corridors at a jogging pace, the rest of them following after them, Pikachu on Ash's shoulder.  Despite their situation, Ash couldn't help but think about a certain irony.  Running along with him, all trying to escape from Team Rocket because all of them had tried to rescue him, was every Pokémon Trainer he had ever journeyed with.  He couldn't say person, because of the absence of May's brother.  Not that he would want him to be here, it was far too dangerous for his sister, never mind him.

Following 'Team Rocket', they turned left into a corridor that led into a rock-walled one.  They continued to hurry along it, Jessie or James looking over their shoulders occasionally to see if Ash and friends were there, and if they being followed or not.  

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Ash called out to their leaders.  When he saw a small but growing glint of light in the distance and the look of annoyance that Jessie threw him, he decided that it must be.  Exiting the tunnel, they found themselves facing a setting sun, surrounded by grass, trees, and-

"Bugs!" Misty screamed at the top of her lungs.  Having noticed a group of Weedle and Kakuna in a few nearby trees, Misty clung onto Ash as hard as she could.

"Ow!  That hurts!" he cried out in pain, putting his hands over hers to try and calm her down a little.  "Calm down, they won't get you."

"Enough's of this, we's gotta get out of here!" Meowth shouted nervously.  "We's three took a risk saving you!  But then again, we's couldn't just leave you's there in danger," he added.

From behind them they heard a distant rumble and the noise of people shouting orders.  "If we go all together, though, we'll be an easy target," James reminded them all.

"We'll split up," Ash decided.  "Brock, you take my Mom.  Tracey, go with May."  He took hold of Misty's hand, indicating that only he would be her saviour this time.

"We'll meet up at my house tomorrow?" Delia suggested, looking at each one in turn and receiving a nod in agreement.  "Thanks again," Delia said to Jessie and James.  "You've saved my family today, and I'll never forget this."

"Tomorrow!" Brock called, putting a hand on Delia and both of them hurrying off into the forest.  Ash and Misty next turned to Tracey and May, May looking especially uneasy having to split up from each other, and with going with someone she barely knew.

"Here's Togepi," May said, holding him out to Misty.  Chirping happily, Togepi was accepted and hugged tightly by his mother.  She kissed him on his middle spike tenderly before holding him back out to May.

"Can you look after him for me?" Misty asked of her.  "I'd love to bring him with me, but with only Pikachu we can't protect him."

"We'll take care of Togepi," Tracey assured her, taking Togepi and holding him close.  Misty smiled at him gratefully, grasping Ash's hand in hers as Tracey turned to face May.  "Ready?" he asked her.

May nodded.  "Sleep tight," she said, turning away from them and heading into the forest at a jogging pace, albeit in a different direction as Brock and Delia.

"We'd, uh, better head off too," Jessie told them, absently running a hand over her hair and checking that none of it was missing.

"Firstly," Ash began to ask.  "Why?  Why did you save us when you knew that this would happen?  And why did Team Rocket recall you?"

Jessie sighed uncomfortably.  She never wanted to show any weakness in front of anybody, especially somebody who she had been following since he had turned 10, nearly 8 years ago.  Glancing at James who smiled at her gently, she turned back to face Ash and Misty.  "We saved you ... because I couldn't bear to stand there and watch another baby die," Jessie explained.  Tears threatened at her eyes and James moved over, placing comforting hands on her shoulders.

"You don't have to-" James began before Jessie interrupted him.

"I want to," she said sharply, silencing him.  "Last October ... me and James slept together.  I'd somehow gotten drunk and I was upset, and James ... just wanted to comfort me.  And from that one night, I got pregnant.  Team Rocket has very specific rules about its field agents, and ... somehow they found out."  She raised a hand to her face and lowered her head.

"Butch and Cassidy were sent, along with a few other agents, to make sure that our entire team made it back here, to the main headquarters in and around Viridian City," James continued.  "We were interrogated, beaten up, and to make it worse ... " he trailed off, pulling a now crying Jessie to him.

"They killed da baby," Meowth finished sadly.  "Jess was awake and dey's made her watch as dey killed it."

"I'm ... sorry," Misty offered, choked up by Jessie's experience.  "Thank you though, for saving my baby."

"This way I think!" a voice came from down the tunnel.  All heads turned towards the sound before quickly looking back to each other again.

"Get going, now!" James shouted, grabbing a hold of Jessie's hand and picking up Meowth.  "Don't let them catch you or you'll all be dead!"

"They'll never find us," Ash said defiantly.  "Good luck," he said sincerely, nodding before pulling on Misty hand as they began to make their escape, Jessie and James making their way in the opposite direction.

All four groups ran through the forest together, all trying desperately to out-run their now numerous pursuers.  Delia and Brock ...  Tracey and May ...  Jessie and James ...  Ash and Misty ...  But what will happen to them throughout the night?

Will they survive?

*~*

END PART FIVE

... Call me evil if you'd like, for what I did to Ash ...  

I didn't mean it as 'Ash bashing'.  It was only an interesting way of exploring what could happen if Misty did die at this moment, without it actually happening and me going through all of Ash's complete grief and writing a funeral, which I didn't even plan on doing in the first place.  Never mind, things turned out alright in the end ...  Or did they?

What's next?  Expect the next four chapters to separately be each about the four groups and their escape from Team Rocket.  As one or two people may know, I had a hell of a time trying to figure out an ending for this chapter, and well ... I managed to think of one!

Oh, re-uploaded!  I TOTALLY forgot to mention this ...  Rocketshipping ...  Now, I'm not a Rocketshipper, officially, only because Jessie (Psyduck Queen) of PUK would hate me forever!  If you are anti-Rocketshipping don't flame me about it!  All that happened is that they slept together.  So?  Loads of drunk friends do that, a LOT that I know!  Anyway, this will be explained in Jessie and James's forest tale.

Until next time, stay tuned!


	6. Brock and Delia, escape from the forest

Disclaimer: Je ne pas ... own ... le Pokémon.  ^_^*  My French teacher would be so proud ...  Er, maybe not ...   ¬_¬  ... People need to practice when they won't be at school for 6 weeks!  

Back on topic ...  I'm sorry its taken me so long to get this (short) part out, but me and my boyfriend have been spending waaaay too much time together, and I haven't been focused enough to work on the fic.  But this part, and the next three to follow, fills in slightly about what happens when everyone had to split up and run from Team Rocket.  You also find out about the past of our friends in:

How Much Can Happen in a Year?

"I don't like this," Delia spoke out between exhausted breaths as they raced along through the forest.  Just after they had begun running, Brock had released his Crobat, using him to help guide them a way to somewhere where it might be safe, and to warn them if they had any uninvited guests.

"I don't think any of us do," Brock agreed with her, slowing down and coming to a stop, leaning heavily against a tree.  Delia joined him and together they stayed and caught their breaths for a minute or two, Crobat circling constantly above them.  

Her breath regained, Delia straightened up and blinked her eyes, the light fading rapidly now.  Luckily, around them the un-evolved Metapod and Kakuna attached to the trees had lit up slightly, providing a useful and guiding glow for them.  "It's beautiful," Delia sighed out, the past few days forgotten for a brief few seconds before they took priority in her mind once more.  "Shame we're not here under different circumstances, isn't it?"

"I know," he agreed.  "We could have camped out.  Tents, campfire, sing songs ... " he trailed off, looking towards Delia with a smile on his face.  "And put up with Misty moaning to Ash about one thing or another."

Delia's mood dropped at the mention of them.  "Do you think they'll be ok?" she asked him sincerely.  "Misty has to take it easy, with the baby and all, and Ash only has Pikachu to protect them both.  They'll be such an easy-"

"Hey," Brock consoled, putting a hand on her shoulder.  "Ash is one of the few people I know that can get himself out of any situation alive, along with anyone with him.  He won't let anything happen to Misty."  Hearing slight voices in the distance, he turned his head to listen and then quickly turned it back.  "We should keep moving and find somewhere to rest for the night.  The closer to Pallet, the better."

"Yeah," Delia agree, nodding her head.  Brock leading them, they continued heading into the forest.  The sky was now completely black, a few stars dotted around in places, from what they could see as they glanced up every now and then.  They each tripped over tree stumps, fallen branches, or even small holes in the ground.

"Hey, wait a second," Brock mumbled as he helped pick Delia up from her latest tumble.  Instead of urging her to carry on running, he sank to his knees and, using both of his hands, examined the depression in the ground that had caused Delia's trip.

"What is it?" she asked him, joining him on the forest floor.  She watched as Brock, seeming to possess super-human strength for a few brief moments, lifted a nearby fallen tree slightly out of the way of the small hole.  But, it wasn't small no longer, for it revealed to them a large space that would easily fit around 6 people in it.

"Get in," Brock almost ordered, waiting until Delia had gotten herself inside, dropping a foot down.  After returning Crobat to his Poké ball Brock followed her, pulling the remnant of the tree back to where it had been, covering their shelter.

"Brock, it's totally dark in here!" Delia whispered out, her flailing arms hitting Brock on more than one occasion.

"Hang on a minute," he said, a quiet thudding noise being heard as Brock placed his bag on the ground and searched through it for what he was looking for.  His hand touching upon it, he pulled on it, managing to retrieve it, now holding it in his hand.  "Found it," he informed her.  A strike of a match was heard, and their shelter was illuminated with the glow from Brock's camping stove.  He reached up and pulled wood from the tree covering them, as well as twigs scattered around the place, and began to build a fire.

"You come prepared for any situation, don't you?" Delia asked, watching him as he finished the fire and turned the stove off.

"Well when we set off to find you a few days ago, we had no idea how long it'd take," Brock told her, sitting down by the fire and rubbing his hands together.

"Ash is lucky to have friends like you," she remarked sincerely, walking over to him and taking a place by the fire.  "When did you all twig that something was wrong?"

"Firstly, you didn't come home that night," Brock began.  "Tracey was really worried, so he called me at the Gym.  May was staying with us for a while, she'd got a crush on my brother."  He stopped, smiling to himself before the smile disappeared and he continued.  

"We arranged to meet in Viridian the next day, me and May managed to get transport down there.  And ... we managed to break into the facility.  We found a Rocket hiding in Viridian, and he told us of how he'd seen a pregnant girl in the cells.  Tracey threatened him with Scyther, and he showed us where we could sneak in.  Boy was he scared though," Brock finished.  "He was only a kid."

"Thank you though," Delia repeated.  "You saved my entire family tonight, and I'll never forget that."

"We didn't find everyone though," Brock countered.  "What about Dan?  He wasn't-" he stopped, seeing Delia's head droop down sadly.  "What happened?  Did they hurt him?"

"Dan ... was using us.  Using_me_, to get to Ash and Misty."  She raised her head to look at Brock.  "He was in Team Rocket."

"Oh ... " Brock exclaimed sadly.  

"And that's not the worst of it," she continued.  "Dan's boss, Giovanni ... I knew him when I was younger.  We were Mark, G and D ...  Best of friends, just like you are with Ash and Misty.  And then once, on Giovanni's birthday, he got too drunk and ... " She stopped, taking deep, comforting breaths.  

"You don't have to say-"

"I want to," she interrupted.  "He's evil and ... you need to know what lengths he'll go to.

"On his birthday, he took things a little too far.  I told him to stop, but he wouldn't.  Mark heard me screaming and he rescued me from him.  I'd always liked Mark, and Giovanni had pretended to be him just to ...  We never spoke to him again, and through what happened, me and Mark got together, and Ash was conceived.  Unfortunately, Giovanni heard about it, having just taken over Team Rocket.  He kidnapped me and Mark and held us at gunpoint.  He wouldn't believe that the baby wasn't his, and he put the gun to Mark's head, forcing him to say that the baby was Giovanni's.  

"Mark wanted to be a part of Ash's life so much, that he did, thinking that would spare him.  Giovanni shot him anyway.  He turned the gun on me, saying I had to stay with him, or we'd both die.  I told him I'd rather die, and he tried to shoot me.  I found strength that I never thought was possible, and I miraculously escaped.  Problem was, that was enough to induce my labour.  Ash was born early, without his father ... early enough for Giovanni to be totally convinced that he was his.  Sam Oak was an old friend of the family, and he helped me move to Pallet Town and start a life there.  We did and Ash grew up, safe from Team Rocket.

"Something even worse happened tonight though," she continued, Brock listening intently.  "We were taken up to Giovanni's office, and Ash went in on his own.  Domino, another agent, took Misty away, although not quietly.  Then ... soon afterwards there was a gunshot from inside the office."

"What!?" Brock exclaimed angrily.  "He tried to kill Ash!?"

Delia shook her head.  "That's what I thought, so I managed to get away from Dan and inside the office.  It was ...  I saw Ash, in tears ...  Misty was lying on the ground, blood everywhere ... "

"I don't get it," he murmured.  "But, we_saw_Misty.  She's with Ash right now!"

"The thing is, that wasn't Misty," Delia told him.  "When Giovanni was younger, he used to be very good at creating holo-images and things like that.  He's gotten better over the years, I'll certainly give him that.  And it was that he shot.  He hit the off switch accidentally, and she disappeared."

"Poor Ash," Brock thought out loud.  "Having to watch her die and then find out it was faked."

"That's why he wouldn't let go when he found her again," Delia explained.  "See ... this is why when we moved to Pallet Town, and as much as I loved Pokémon, I never had any in the house.  I was afraid that Giovanni would try and get to Ash if he ever left home to be a trainer, so I tried to discourage his interest in them as much as possible.  I couldn't though.  Ash inherited his desperate love for them from his father, and all I could do was sit and watch as he planned his life as a trainer."  She began to laugh, cheering up the desolate mood that had been in place.  "You should have seen it Brock.  He even wrote it down!"

"What did he put?" he asked, a smile forming.

"Just the words "I'll be the greatest Pokémon Master ever!" on every single page of his notebook!" she chuckled out, causing them both to laugh out loud.  "Another thing was that he said he'd do it by himself, no Gary Oak or people to push him around.  I remember being so relieved when he told me that he wasn't travelling alone.  At least then, there would be someone to help him if Team Rocket did go after him.  And help him she did."

"Misty?" Brock asked her, suddenly realising that there couldn't be anyone else who it could have been.  "You know, from the beginning I thought they were related.  Brother/sister, cousins, or something.  They argued like cat and dog at each other, every single day.  Most of the time it drove me round the bend but ... when I stayed on Valencia Island, I actually missed it."

Silence hung in the air when Brock finished talking.  The humour-filled mood evaporated and Brock moved away from the fire, curling up by the not-so-far wall.  "Brock?" she asked him quietly, standing up and walking over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "I've told my secret, so why don't you get yours out?" she suggested, Brock's eyes meeting hers as she sat back on the ground.  He looked so hurt and upset, almost like a child that he had never been able to be.  "What happened between you and Professor Ivy?"

"It's ... " he began timidly.  "I've never told anyone what happened.  I've never had the nerve.  I was such an idiot."

"Idiot about what?" she asked gently.

"About her and everything about her," he said gloomily.  "I was such a young fool back then, and ... I suppose I still am."

"Brock, don't put yourself down," Delia said soothingly.  "You just haven't met the one for you yet."

"That's just it!" he emotionally exploded.  "I thought she _was_the one for me!  Every time she looked at me ...  She could be covered in dirt, or soaked from head to toe but every single time I saw her I thought she was an angel.  The girls had figured it out and they kept on telling me what I should do to let her know.  And like a fool, I listened to them."

"What happened?"

"After about three months, I felt like I was going to burst, and so I decided I'd tell her.  I cooked a meal and everything, planned it all.  The only thing was ... she didn't turn up."  Brock's face saddened at the memory.  Delia opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Brock continued.  "She'd had a date, but with the last person I'd ever expected it to be ...  Nurse Joy, from the Pokémon Centre."

That shocked Delia.  "You mean ... " she sighed disbelievingly.  "Well ... I can see why, thinking about it.  Did the assistants know about it?"

"They more than just knew about it," Brock murmured angrily.  "Ivy had ... 'done favours' for them before, and they led me on.  I know they don't look like the kind of people to do that, but they are.  So, as soon as I could, I got out of there and tried to get back to Kanto, I knew Ash would have headed there to Professor Oak.  It was one long case of island-hopping, but I got there eventually, and I headed to Pallet Town."

"When me and Mimey ran into you," Delia finished, smiling.  "I'm sorry about that, it seems silly when I look back on it."

"It's ok," Brock told her.  He sighed again, pausing before talking again.  "It's like I'm cursed, when it comes to love," he continued.  "Why do I fall for girls, but the girls never fall for me?  Like Lara, she was just on the rebound.  She never liked me, and as soon as Rob called she went running back to him.  When will I meet someone who I love, who loves me back?"

"You will soon Brock, I'm sure of it," she reassured him, smiling.  "Don't go out looking for love, Brock, and it'll find you.  That always works."

"Yeah," he pondered.  "I'll do that."  They heard footsteps running above their heads and they suddenly became on-edge, Brock's hands hovering near his Poké balls on his belt.  Delia quickly stomping out the small fire, they stood, listening to the Rockets just above them.

"Any site of them?" an obviously annoyed female voice asked.  Delia's hands clenched, recognising the voice.

"Angel," she hissed out, suddenly remembering they had to be quiet.

"We suspect they've split up," another woman answered.  Brock's ears pricked up at the voice, knowing he had heard it somewhere before.  She obviously wasn't an underling to the first one, as her voice had the same superior edge to it.

"Damn!" Angel exclaimed, kicking against the huge tree stump that hid Brock and Delia from them.  "Domino, we can't fail this!"

"Domino!?" Brock whispered out to Delia.  He hadn't seen her since the early part of their journey through Johto, at Purity Lake and the Mewtwo incident.  

"Who?" Delia asked in a whisper.  Brock raised a finger to his lips.

"Hey, have the Black Sister's ever failed the Boss?" Domino asked her, cutting off Brock's reply to Delia.  "We'll find them, and we'll make them pay."

"Domino, we have to get them before they get back to-" she stopped, a ringing noise being heard.  A further beeping noise was heard before the phone was answered.

"Domino," the voice replied crisply and coolly.  "Yes boss, we're searching for them ...  What?  Sir, I highly suggest that ...  But they're_here_in the Virette Forest!" she shouted, obviously very angry.  A brief silence was followed by a loud sigh from Domino.  "Yes sir, we shall recall all our agents.  Domino out."  The phone snapped shut and the sound of someone kicking the tree could be heard yet again.  

"Damn him!" Angel cursed.  "Doesn't he see how big a fool he's being?  There's no way they could escape us!  He's letting that brat get to him."

_"That__brat_getting to him is what he's worried about, I think," Domino spat.  "He's loosing it ...  Anyway, we'd better recall everyone, _now_."__

"Yes_sir_!" Angel said sarcastically.  "Remind me, which one of us is number nine, and which is number five?" she asked as they walked into the distance.

"At last," Brock said with relief, sitting back down in the darkness that their eyes had now adjusted to.  "I think, if we wait here a while, we'll be able to get back to Pallet Town safely."  He moved over to Delia, who was now hunched up against the wall, and sat down besides her.

"At least we know where we are," she said positively.  "Virette ... I thought we were more towards Pewter than Pallet, but that shows my geography skills for you!" she joked.  She suddenly yawned, surprising even herself.

"Why don't you have a nap for a while, I'll keep watch," Brock offered.  

"You're not the one who's been knocked out for the past couple days.  I'm sure you need the sleep," Delia argued, yawning again.

"Ok then," Brock bargained with her, knowing there would be no other way of letting her get the sleep she needed.  "You have a ten minute nap, and I'll wake you up then."

"You promise?" Delia asked sleepily, lying down on the floor, her rolled-up cardigan from dinner under her head.

"I promise," he lied.  

"Night," she whispered as her eyes drifted closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

"Delia ... " _a voice whispered to her in her dream.  She stirred in the darkness and opened her eyes, light flooding in so brightly that she immediately shielded her eyes against it._

"Who's there?" _she called out into the room.  Even though the bare room seemed small, the sound of her voice echoed and echoed all around her.  Suddenly scared, she sat up, finding it difficult because there was an extra addition to her body._  "I'm pregnant ... " _she murmured.  She struggled to her feet and leant against the walls, feeling them to be cold and smooth.  _

"You'll listen to me!" _a voice drifted from down a corridor and, her intrigue getting the better of her, she followed it, the bright light diminishing enough for her to remove her hand and for her to be able to see more easily.  Her footsteps clacked along the floor, and her apprehension increased._

"Leave her alone!" _a male voice shouted angrily and Delia's heart froze in disbelief._

"Dan!" _a female shouted emotionally and Delia stopped in her tracks, seeing the scene in front of her.   A scene from nearly 18 years ago ...  The night Mark died.  _

"Stay out of this!" _he shouted to her and she watched as her younger self hung back, shock and fear on her face as she watched another male figure raise a gun and point it at Mark._

"I know you're both lying!" _shouted the voice of Giovanni, desperation on his face._  "And I swear I'll use this unless you tell me the truth!"__

"We _are_ telling the truth but you're too blind to see it!" _her younger self shouted out, but her reply fell on deaf ears._

"G, the baby's yours," _Mark whispered, Delia's face displaying nothing but shock.  She protested, but he interrupted._  "That medication was wrong," _he said as he turned to her, giving her a small wink, indicating for her to play along.  He turned back to Giovanni.  _"So I suppose congratulations are in order?"__

"Not for you, they're not," _Giovanni replied, a loud bang resonating outwards as he pulled the trigger of his gun.  Mark, who could only be described as surprised, looked down at his injury, before gasping and collapsing to the ground._

"MARK!!!" _her younger form screamed out hysterically, running over to his body and rocking it against her, trying to keep him with her._

_Delia, the observer to the entire dream, wandered over to her younger self and watched as she sobbed into Mark's body, her tears and his blood mixing together on the floor.  Tears appeared in her eyes as she re-lived the emotions she went through that night, and wasn't surprised at the events that happened next.  _

"Serves him right for lying to me,"_ Giovanni said._  "All those months he went around, so happy that 'he' was going to be a father, when all along it was me."__

"Murderer!" _she screamed at him, struggling to her feet. _ "He lied!  I know, because I had a pregnancy test after 'that night' of ours!  Negative!  The baby is ... was ... Mark's ... "_ she sobbed._

"There's no use denying the truth Delia," _he said arrogantly, pointing the gun at her.  _"I don't want to force you but ... you are going to stay here, with me.  Our child will have the best of everything, I can-"__

"_My_ child won't grow up with his father now, thanks to you," _she spoke dangerously._  "And I'd rather die than stay here with you."__

_The muscles on Giovanni's face visible twitched in anger._  "Have it your way," _he said calmly, raising the gun again and pointing it at Delia.  Her eyes widened more than could seem possible, and as the gun was fired Delia ducked suddenly, the bullet ricocheting around the room.  As the present day Delia watched as her younger self ran straight through her and down the corridor, she turned around and heard Giovanni gasp in pain, the bullet having grazed his shoulder.  She stood and stared at him, before feeling the need to speak._

"Why?  You killed his father, tried to kill his mother and kidnapped the mother of his child.  Is there something inside of you?  A secret, that'll disappear if he or his child was killed?"_  She stood and stared at Giovanni, about to turn when, unexpectedly, his head turned and he looked straight at her._

"Only you know the answer to that, Delia,"_ he said calmly.  Extreme unease filled her stomach as Giovanni walked off, the scenery around her beginning to fade to black._

"Ah!" Delia screamed out as she woke up, startling Brock so much that he fell backwards, Delia going with him.  After they landed roughly and Delia stood up shakily, Brock shook his head and climbed to his as well.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack there!" he said, shaking the dust from his clothes.

"I ... had a strange dream," she apologised, still disturbed from the events that had transpired in her dream.  "I ... guess it just freaked me out a little.  But what was it?"  She looked around at her surroundings, particularly noticing the beautiful sunny sky above them.  "Where are we?  How long did you let me sleep?"

"We're in the fields leading up to Pallet Town," he answered.  "I waited about half an hour after Angel and Domino left, picked you up, and carried you.  It's morning now ... I'd guess about nine."

"Brock, I told you to wake me up after an hour!" Delia sternly told him.  He smiled at her childishly, and she couldn't help but smile.  "I'm glad you're not depressed anymore," she finished, and they continued walking towards Pallet.

"Before you ask, I haven't seen any of the others," he told her after they had been walking for twenty minutes.  "Not a word from Team Rocket either.  It doesn't seem right.  Everything is too quiet."

"I just hope Misty is ok," Delia murmured.  "Sleeping outside with no overhead protection or warmth is exactly the opposite of what she should be doing in her condition, six months pregnant ...  But I know my boy'll look after her."

Silence hung heavily in the air as they continued walking, until Brock felt the need to interrupt it.  "What are we going to do when we all get back?" he asked her suddenly.  "Shouldn't we call Officer Jenny?"

She paused before answering.  "Yes," she said after a while.  "But, you don't know how good Team Rocket are at covering their tracks.   Kidnap, attempted murder ...  It'll just go on a huge list of their crimes.  They are terrorists, after all."

"Yeah," he reluctantly agreed.  "Hopefully they'll have to answer for those crimes one day.  At least if we ... " he trailed off, stopping in his steps and staring ahead of him.  Besides him, Delia had also stopped and her right hand was raised to her mouth, tightly clasped over it.  

"Oh no ... " Delia trembled when her hand had dropped back to her side.  The tears were in her eyes as she looked at the scene displayed in front of them.

"W ... what ... ?" Brock breathed out with disbelief.  "Come on, quick," he said to Delia, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along behind him as they raced into the scene that outstretched beyond them ... 

*~*

END PART SIX

Well ... there is Brock and Delia's part for you.

Oh, and about the cliffhanger ... ha ha ha ha ha.  I'm not gonna give anything away ... cos to tell you all the truth I don't know for certain what the cliffhanger is!  -_-*  When I first posted this I was chapters ahead and now ... it's write it as it comes into my head ... 

Next – Tracey and May!  And no, I'm not a whatever-you-call-it-shipper (that's _not_ the name), cos ... well, its like trying to clear up unwanted elements when it comes to AAML, and I wanna leave em in.  

Stay tuned folks!


	7. Avoiding Team Rocket! Tracey and May!

Disclaimer: Yikes, it's been a while ...  Uh, don't own Pokémon, can't hope to own millions ...  Although it would be useful ...  

I AM SO SO SORRY!  How long has it been since I updated this!?  Omg ... July 30th July!!!  Nearly 6 months ago!  Oh well ...  For a start, this can now be officially classed as an A/U (alternate universe) fic, because Togepi _had_ to evolve and leave didn't he?  Well ... it was a cutey ...  

And if anyone is interested, in the past 6 months I've gotten close to my boyfriend who now is my fiancé, and we are moving in together in less than 6 months!

And now, please sit back and enjoy the belated mini section of:

How Much Can Happen in a Year?

Whilst the events described in Part 6 were occurring ... what was happening with Tracey and May?

... 

The pounding of their feet thudded on the ground as they tore their way through the forest.  The shouts of their pursuers could be heard resonating through the trees, only making the two of them run faster.  

"How long have we been running now?" May shouted out to her fellow escapee.  A fog was now settling in on the grassy floor, making it harder and harder to see where they were running, as well as their surroundings.  Togepi chirped sadly in her arms, only wanting to be with his mother, but understanding the reason why Misty gave her to May so that May could look after her.

"Who cares, just as long we get out of here," was the reply Tracey gave to her.  She glanced upwards from the forest floor briefly, seeing the scratches on Tracey's face from the patch of trees they had just ran through, and hugged Togepi closer to her chest.

"Tracey, no offence, but do you think you can get us out of here?" May asked him, as the two of them stopped briefly and glanced around them, Tracey wiping his sweatband as he did so.  "I don't know my way around Hoenn, never mind Kanto!" she continued to speak, a look of panic crossing Tracey's face very quickly.

"Shhh!" he harshly silenced, placing his hand over May's mouth tightly, his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her.  Automatically she kicked out at Tracey's leg, causing him to let go of and to grasp the leg tightly as he called out in pain.

"What was _tha_t for!?" she shouted out, her heart racing.  Her anger turned to sudden fear when an object rushed out of the darkness of the trees and missed her by scant inches.  

"That!" Tracey shouted, ignoring the pain in his leg and grabbing one of her wrists, pulling her along with him as he began to run, other darts flying out of the surrounding darkness of the forest.  Tracey's faster speed soon showed as May tripped up, falling to the ground.  Togepi flew out of her arms and landed in a pile of leaves, crying its name out loudly.  After Tracey had quickly gotten May to her feet, she reached out and picked up Togepi.  The two of them began to run again, leaping over fallen branches that lay underneath them.

"What ... were they?" May asked him, having difficulty breathing as her energy declined.

"I think ... they were tranquillisers," he answered her, slowing his speed down as they entered a clearing in the forest, the nights starry sky showing through the trees.  "I think."

"Thanks, I feel a whole lot better!" May despairingly sighed out, slumping against a large tree.  Suddenly, a large cracking noise was heard, and May yelped as the side of the tree caved in on itself.  Togepi jumped out of her arms as she fell, and was now on the floor jumping up and down at the discovery of a hiding place.

"Hey, nice work May," Tracey congratulated her as he moved over, picking Togepi up and looking inside the newly discovered space.  "It's huge in here ...  Quick, get in!" he encouraged, quickly climbing inside.  Placing Togepi down, he picked up the whole piece of fallen bark that rested atop of May, and used it to cover their entrance to the tree.

"I'm so glad you like it," she moaned, sitting up using her hands and wiping herself clean.  "How come there's a space this big inside a tree?" she asked him, crawling partly on her knees to find the side of the tree.  "It's enormous!  Loads of people could fit in here!"

"Shame that there's only us two here then," he said sadly, running his hands through his hair after removing his sweatband.  "How do you think everyone is?  I mean, Ash is gonna have the hardest time trying to get himself and Misty out of here, and with all these Team Rocket agents chasing us ... " he sighed loudly.  

"All we can do is hope and get out of here," May replied.  Tapping her hands on her thighs for a few seconds, she then reached over and picked up Togepi, pulling the tiny Pokémon close.  "Don't worry," she said in a soothing voice.  "We'll get out of this creepy place and find your mommy."  Togepi chirped in happiness, waving its arms. 

"You're good with baby Pokémon, aren't you?" Tracey observed, watching May handle Togepi with ease.  

"I ... guess," she said, surprised at his comment.  "I never really thought I was that good with Pokémon."  The smile that had been on her face had changed to a solemn one.  "Max knows more about Pokémon than me ... he's the one who wants to be a trainer.  But my Dad wants us both to be trainers, that's why he pushed me to become one as soon as I could.  I only went along with it so I could get out of Petalburg and see the world.  I remember ... when I was little I used to sneak out the house and go to Route 104.  Watching the boats go by, people swimming ... " she sighed, stars shimmering in her eyes.

"And how do you like the life of a traveller?" Tracey asked her, May's eyes refocusing.  

"Well ... I'll admit it isn't as classy as I imagined it to be," she said shyly.  "But that doesn't mean I don't like it," she added, winking in the darkness.

"I used to love to travel," Tracey added to their topic.  "I was travelling around the Orange Islands when I met Ash and Misty.  And when I finally got to meet Oak through them ... well, I knew I preferred to stay there and be taught by him, rather than travel around.  As much as I enjoyed it."

"Toge toge briiii!" Togepi suddenly chirped, disturbing the silence that had settled in.  Tracey and May both jumped slightly, keeping silent as they heard twigs outside snapping, and leaves rustling as they were stepped on.  

"Where could they have gone?" a male voice asked into the darkness.  "We saw them going this way ...  They can't just disappear!"  May breathed a quiet sigh of relief that their pursuers hadn't spotted them barely a few metres away from where they were standing.  Through small peepholes in the bark that herself and Tracey were looking through, they could see the tranquilliser guns resting in their arms.

"Don't be stupid," a rough voice shouted.  He then sighed.  "This is ridiculous.  Nearly 200 agents sent out into the forest at night, and what are we looking for?" he said, the annoyance rising in his voice.  "A bunch of measly kids!  And one of them's pregnant for crying out loud!  What kind of wild Pidgey chase will we be sent on next!?"

Through their gap they watched as a young man took a step towards the one who had just spoken, raising his gun into the air.  "Don't talk about the Boss like that!" he said defiantly, trying to look steady and forceful.  But May could see his hands trembling near the gun's trigger and, glancing a quick look at Tracey, she wondered just what was going to happen next.

"Ooooh, and just what are ya gonna do to me?" the man replied teasingly.  "You wouldn't fire that gun at a Magikarp, never mind a real person!"

"Don't push me," the young agent said threateningly, visibly increasing his grip and control of the gun.  He looked like he was ready to fire it when they were interrupted by more arrivals.  

"Oh I do wish you grunts would grow up sometimes," a smooth female voice spoke, immediately provoking recognition in Tracey, as he swiftly moved as close as he could to the tree bark, peeking outside.

"Cassidy ... " he quietly whispered, May not hearing him as she encouraged Togepi to remain quiet.  

"When you boys have done playing men," a croaky male voice relayed, "you'll realise that the Boss has sent you new orders."  

"We are ready to receive our orders Agents Butch and Cassidy, sirs!" the young agent shouted out, standing to attention and lowering his gun, his hand now raised to his head in a salute.  

"If he stands any straighter he could be used as a ladder!" Cassidy sarcastically remarked, laughing slightly.  The smirks from the other agents resulted in the young grunt lowering his hand, his face displaying the redness of embarrassment.  

"Enough of this messing around," Butch professionally announced, causing Cassidy to throw him a death glare briefly.  "We have new orders from the boss."

"And what are they_ this_ time?" the earlier grunt asked lazily.  "Does he want us to dance and sing whilst he eats dinner now?" he said sarcastically, chuckling out loud.  

"Watch your mouth, or you won't have one," Butch croakily warned him.  "The Boss wants us to-" he stopped as he heard voices, male and female, crying out in the darkness.  Through his peephole, Tracey could see a sly smile appear on Cassidy's face.

"We got them," she whispered to herself.  She then stood up tall and addressed the others.  "Screw the orders, head after whatever the hell that noise was."

"Yes ma'am!" the grunts acknowledged.  They saluted and then, after grasping their weapons firmer, jogged off.  

"Who do you think it was?" Cassidy asked Butch, the only one remaining.

"The Pikachu brat," he replied.  

"I hope so," she returned.  "I've got a few things lined up for him and that red-head."  She paused, tilting her head back and taking in a deep breath of air.  "I wonder if the brat'll pull the same face Jimmy boy did when we performed Jessie's 'operation'," she finished, giggling smugly to herself.  As she and Butch walked off into the distance Tracey felt it safe enough to sigh.

"What were they on about?" May asked him.  "And who do you think is in trouble?"

"I know who I hope_ isn't_ in danger," he said.  "Anyways, I think it's safe to leave now, don't you?"  May nodded in agreement and Tracey pushed at the loose tree bark.  It fell away and he stepped out into the night, stretching his arms and shaking his head to rid the small bits of wood from it.  "Let's go," he said to her, offering his hand.  She accepted it and after dusting off herself and Togepi, they walked towards Pallet Town.__

After an hour or so, what May thought was an unacceptable silence, she felt she couldn't not say anything anymore.  "Tracey-" she said quickly.  She then realised how loud she had spoken and covered her mouth with her hand briefly.  "Sorry," she apologised.  Embarrassed, she turned her attention to the now sleeping Togepi in her arms.  

"It's ok," he reassured her.  "What were you going to say?"

"Well ...  Do you ...  Miss home?" she asked quietly, almost as if the words were rude and she was talking to a teacher.  

"Sure I do," he replied freely.  "I mean, who doesn't?"

"So it's not a bad thing to miss home?" she said, surprised at his response.  "Even if you thought all your life you wanted to leave there and see the world?"

"Home's home," he reminded her.  "Home used to be the world when you were growing up, and it doesn't matter how many places you travel to, or how many people you see ...  Because no place you'll ever visit is truly home."

"Unless you make it a home?"

Tracey was silent for a moment, pondering his answer.  "I guess so," he answered honestly.

"Thanks."  She smiled at Tracey, and he returned it.  

All night they walked through the forest, talking of various things.  Growing up ...  School ...  Annoying siblings ...  Annoying parents even.  It wasn't until the sun touched the top of the horizon, and they neared their destination of Pallet Town, that they realised how late it was that the topic changed to more recent matters at hand.  

"Part of me doesn't wanna go back," May said.

"Why?"

She sighed, stopping in her steps.  Tracey halted as well, turning to look at her as May spoke.  "Because you know and I know that something has happened to someone last night."  

"No, we have no idea what has happened to anyone," he corrected.  "And if you think negative, then you're gonna make negative things happen."   He turned back round and continued walking.

"So I should be a total optimist like you?" she quipped sarcastically, continuing walking.  Togepi, whom had recently woken up, chirped.  

"Very funny," he told her.  "And yes, you should be.  If the whole world was like you then ..." he faded off.  

"Tracey?" she called, jogging up to him.  "You're freaking me out now, what's ..." she too faded off.  Standing on the hill overlooking Pallet Town, nausea and dizziness both overcame May.  

And she screamed ...

*~*

END PART 7

That is short ...  And I only picked this back up today after re-reading it several times.  And writers block ...  It took me a while to get back into writing, and in my opinion this part was rubbish.  But then again ... I wasn't looking forward to writing this part because it's Tracey and May ...  THE FILL-IN CHARACTERS!!!

Part 8 will be better ...  And it will be up soon (and I mean that!)!


	8. Reunited through tragedy

Disclaimer: Moving out soon, so can't afford to own or buy a majority stake in Pokémon. Oh well ...  
  
Firstly, I've gotta say, I'm really sorry about the delay! I've had writers block and everything, and I have agonised over the decision I took in this part. I just hope that you people won't hate me, cos I followed my vision. Now, that out of the way, please, Ladies and Gentleman, relax and enjoy the very belated part 8 of:

**How Much Can Happen In A Year?**They never even saw it coming, and the stupid thing was, they should have done. The sudden 'appearance' of transportation to get them home, as well as their stupid and blinding acceptance of it, without any questions whatsoever. At the time, all that occurred to them was that it was anything to get them out of there and get themselves to safety. And on top of that, the three of them had been so nice and considerate. "Are you ok back there?" "We'll be back soon, don't worry."  
  
Their biggest mistake was that they invited them inside, and into the safety of their home. Why hadn't it occurred to them that they would betray them? They were Team Rocket ... They had _always_ been Team Rocket. And when they made their move against them, there had been nothing they could do to stop them.  
  
"Ash!" Misty now screamed, struggling against the arms that held her, her hair tangled and dangling over her face and in her eyes. As the tears welled up from within them she found it even harder to see Ash, unconscious on the floor, a regrettably familiar feline figure standing over him with a look of self-satisfaction on his face. Pikachu lay besides him, equally as limp and unconscious.  
  
"Shut up," the man restraining her said, tightening his already strong grip slightly. Struggling against the pain she reluctantly complied, not for herself, but for the life and safety of her child.  
  
"I must say, you have a very nice place here," Jessie said both smugly and sarcastically, walking slowly around the main room of Ash's house. "That's what I like about Pallet Town ... It's so dead that even after ten years _everything_ is the same, and no one notices or even cares to do anything about it."  
  
"Bitch," Misty spat out weakly, drawing Jessie's immediate attention as she walked over towards her. "How can you do this to us?" Misty continued, looking up towards her. "After all we've been through together and all the times we've saved your sorry ass, you turn around and you do _this_ to us! And I'm _pregnant_ as well! I'd have thought you of all people would understand!" Her surprise was evident, but, she remembered and realised that she only had herself and her blind view that "everyone has a good side" to blame.  
  
Behind her James laughed as he released his grip and threw her on to the sofa, her arms bearing the brunt of the impact. "You don't think that actually happened do you?" he asked her, an even bigger laugh following when he realised that she did. "  
  
"Trust a stupid runt to believe a sob story like that, just like Botch and Cassidy!" Jessie giggled, almost doubling over in her hysterical mood. "You're even more blind than I ever thought you could ever be."  
  
"Well, she deserves an answer, doesn't she Jess?" James said, leaning in close to Misty. She could smell his breath as he spoke quietly to her. "It's because we're Team Rocket agents," he answered simply. "Or didn't you really notice? Must have been the twerp distracting you." He moved away to stand next to Jessie, Misty curling up into a tight ball as best as she could in her condition.  
  
"Don't look so shocked," Jessie coldly addressed her, the two of them appearing menacing as they looked upon her. "Please don't delude yourselves that we were anything but enemies!" she laughed, seeing the look of disappointment on Misty's face and taking great delight and pleasure from it.  
  
"All we ever wanted you for was for your money and your Pokémon, nothing more," James added, raising a hand to his hair and flicking it back, placing it back on his hip afterwards. "Don't think for one second we gave a damn about your whole 'humans and Pokémon love each other' crap, or your pathetic journey with the twerp and every charity case you and he ran into."  
  
"And my, my, _wasn't_ that pathetic," Jessie added mockingly, glancing at James before she turned back to Misty. "You followed him around like the ugly, love-struck runt you were, all the time hoping he'd turn around and see that you loved him, or all the time hoping that someone out there would just give a slight damn about you."  
  
"Shut up," Misty whispered deeply, fighting against the tears. They knew her well ... They knew her too well. They'd watched her fall in love with Ash from afar and now all she could do was sit and listen, feeling helpless as they picked at the scab that was her love for him, turning it all into a huge joke.  
  
"You wanna know one of the really sad things ... " Jessie continued, kneeling down as she spoke. "He couldn't _stand_ you. Every time he looked at you all he could see was a pest ... A tomboy ... An itch that if scratched would just keep coming back to bother him." She paused briefly, feeling satisfaction from the distress she was inflicting upon Misty. "Why do you think he enjoyed himself so much in Hoenn? For one, Ash had a girl round him he could have a good time with. And my, she didn't have a problem flirting with him, or him with-"  
  
"Ash loves me!" Misty cried out, bursting into sobs. As she covered her face with a nearby pillow, Jessie laughed and stood back up, her posture straight as ever. James laughed along with her, turning to face Meowth who was finding all of the events boring, and was busy scratching a groove in the wall.  
  
"Meowth," James called with a slight and dying chuckle, drawing the feline's attention. "It's time." A wry smile spread across his face.  
  
"Finally we's got something better to do's than just stand around here watchin' her cry!" Meowth moaned with relief. He walked over to James, who then nodded to Jessie. As the walked out of the door she put her attention back upon Misty one last time.  
  
"Don't try and escape," she warned. "If you do then the Boss' earlier trick won't turn out to be so fake." She then left the house, and as the echoes of the slamming door echoed into the darkness, Misty continued crying as she threw the pillow to the floor in anger both at Jessie and herself. Maybe Jessie was right ... She looked across at Ash who was moaning slightly as he slowly regained his senses.  
  
"How can you love me?" she quietly asked him, turning her body away from him, sighing heavily whilst wiping furiously at her eyes. After several silence-filled seconds she continued. "You hated me ... You can't lie to me, I saw it in your eyes. It was my fault I fell in love you ... I actually deluded myself you felt something for me." She felt the baby kick inside of her and she placed her hand on top of her bump. "You felt sorry for me that night," she continued. "We were dancing ... And I let it slip. I let you see that I loved you. And because you felt sorry for me ... " she trailed off, wiping yet again at this time fresh tears, "you slept with me. And now you're stuck with me."  
  
"Misty? That you?" Ash asked her quietly, making her flinch and turn back to see him walking over. Lacking the strength to smile, she only watched as he sat down on the sofa next to her with Pikachu on his knee, still unconscious but seemingly ok. "Ugh ... I don't remember much," he told her as he stroked his sleeping starter. "I remember getting back, then all of a sudden I-" he stopped, noticing the tears on Misty's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
Besides him Misty's stomach turned itself in knots, nausea coming over her. "I ... I don't know," she began to weep, leaning over as much as she could and placing her elbows on her knees. "It's nothing," she sobbed. "I'm just scared, and tired, and I want all of this to stop!"  
  
"Mist ... " Ash began, placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him, feeling her tears dampen his clothes. "It'll be ok," he comforted. "We'll be ok, and we'll get out of here.  
  
"You're just saying that," she whispered into him. "Why don't you just leave Ash?" she said suddenly, removing herself from her shoulder. "Leave now why you can! You couldn't stand me years ago and you can't stand me now, and I can see why! I was always having a go at you, putting you down, calling you dense ... You hated me, and you still do!"  
  
"Hey!" he scolded, angry at her suggestion and that she should even think something like that. "Don't you dare tell me what I do and don't feel for you!" He took hold of her hand and looked into her eyes, staring her out. Slowly, his face began to soften and a small smile appeared. "I'll admit, there were times you drove me up the wall ... But I was only a kid back then. And I bet there were times you could have murdered me, right?"  
  
"Yeah ... " she mumbled, feeling uncomfortable in the situation, and guilty as she realised that, yet again, her mouth had run off miles ahead of her brain. After being silent for a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sorry."  
  
"I know you are," he replied simply. Remembering his friend, Ash removed his hand from Misty's and moved it to Pikachu, trying to wake him gently, whilst at the same time checking for any injuries he may have sustained.  
  
Misty watched him as he did so, feeling the love that she had always felt for him warm her up. She could have sworn that it was just another normal day, and that they were watching the sunset after a day out at the beach. Then, the serious reality of the situation came back to her like a punch in the face, and her calmness dissipated, replaced by a nagging worry. "How are we gonna get out of here?" she asked him despairingly, sighing yet again.  
  
Ash paused before answering. "I ... I don't know," he answered truthfully, staring out of the window at the rising sun, wondering just what time it was. He could feel the responsibility weighing down on him like a Snorlax, but, he knew he had not only to protect Misty, but to reassure her as well. "But we will, I promise you."  
  
"Pikapi?" Pikachu weakly asked out, his body stirring from its unconsciousness. Ash's attention was immediately drawn down to him, and he gently used his hands to help him sit up on his lap.  
  
"You ok Pikachu?" he asked with concern. Pikachu nodded slightly and shook his head. Blinking afterwards he cried out with happiness and threw himself at Ash, hugging him gently, Misty leaning across so that she could rub the top of his head affectionately. Then, a sudden tapping caused everyone to flinch, and their attention, instead, to be drawn to a figure at the window.  
  
"Ash!? Delia!? Misty!? Anyone in there!?" a desperate male voice cried out. It was a bloodied and obviously frightened Professor Oak, who, when he saw Ash and Misty, displayed a look of shock so great that it appeared as though Oak thought he had gone mad and dreamed everything.  
  
"Professor!" Misty exclaimed, getting up from her seated position and moving over to the window. Ash placed Pikachu down and followed after her, struggling against the strength of the stuck window. "What happened? Are you alright?" she asked him loudly through the glass.  
  
After several sharp tugs, Ash was able to open the stiff window. Leaning outwards, he took a grip and pulled Oak inside. Once in he slammed shut the window again and moved over to sit down on the sofa next to Oak. Misty, meanwhile, was in the kitchen fetching a damp cloth.  
  
"Thank God you're alright," Oak gasped, regaining his breath and his strength. Misty returned into the room and pressed the cloth she was carrying to a painful looking gash on Oak's head. Pikachu looked with concern upon his original capturer as Misty quickly worked on his wounds, Ash helping her as much as he could.  
  
"Who did this to you?" Ash asked whilst he and Misty worked.  
  
"Don't worry about this," Oak answered, obviously uncomfortable with the situation and the question. "Just where have you _been_!? God, Tracey got so worried that he went to look for you with-"  
  
"With Brock and May," Ash finished for him. He stood up and offered his hand out to Misty, who used it to pull herself up onto her feet. "We ran into them last night and they helped us escape."  
  
"It was from some Team Rocket hideout near Viridian," Misty continued from Ash, handing the cloth to him as she arched her back slightly to ease her discomfort. "Dan was a Rocket agent. He used Delia just to get to Ash ... He didn't love her at all," she added sadly. Oak looked at her with surprise, about to say something when a loud banging noise from outside distracted them all. Oak almost immediately stood up and moved towards the door, peering through the spy hole on it. After looking out for a several seconds, he turned back round to face them all.  
  
"It's not safe," Oak whispered, looking towards Misty. "It's not safe at all, especially for you," he said, referring to Misty. She placed a hand on top of her bump, protectively, and glanced nervously at Ash.  
  
"Just what do they want Professor?" Ash asked him, clenching his fists in anger. The hand holding the cloth dripped water onto the carpet as he did so, and Misty swiftly took steps to remove it from his hand. "If it's a fight, then I'll give them one." From the sofa, Pikachu nodded with equal determination.  
  
"Fighting's not the best thing now Ash," Oak told him almost condescendingly, taking the cloth from Misty and walking briskly into the kitchen. After several seconds of rummaging he returned with a backpack. "Fill this up with what you'll need, and fast," he told both of them, handing Ash his old bag. "And put on something more comfortable, but make it quick. We need to head up to the Lab, maybe then we can send for help."  
  
Nodding their agreement, albeit a confused agreement, Ash and Misty moved off to get ready. Several minutes later, having put on his jeans and a jacket, Ash returned into the main room from the kitchen, having filled up his bag with various foods as well as water. At almost the same time, Misty made her way down the stairs, having swapped her dinner dress and high shoes for trainers, a t-shirt and jacket, and a loose-fitting long skirt.  
  
"I think it's safe," Oak told them quietly, Ash nodding whilst reaching out for Misty's hand. He found it and gave it a reassuring squeeze, Misty returning it with equal force. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, gripping his hair for support just like he had always done.  
  
"Let's hurry then," Ash mumbled as they opened the front door of the house and walked out into Pallet Town. Inside himself, Ash was surprised at how quiet and deceptively peaceful his hometown felt at dawn, not that he'd ever woken up in order to see it. His attention was then drawn towards the direction of Oak's Lab, as a loud crashing noise sent Pokémon flying from the trees above them. The three of them then set off, hurrying along the dirt path that led up to the Lab, Ash's hand remaining in Misty's the whole time as Oak led the two of them.  
  
"Something's not right," Misty whispered quietly to Ash. Besides him he could hear how laboured her breathing was, and Ash decided that she needed to rest before she did herself or their baby any harm.  
  
"Professor, we need to stop for a minute," Ash called after him. Pikachu having now jumped off his shoulder, he removed the bag and began searching inside of it.  
  
"We don't have time Ash!" Oak shouted to them, having stopped and turned around, walking back quickly in their direction. Meanwhile Misty took a gulp of water, some of the contents running down the sides of her mouth. "We need to keep moving!" he urged them both.  
  
"And _she_ needs to rest!" Ash argued back, taking an aggressive step towards Oak. He couldn't help but feel anger towards someone who he considered to be the closest thing he'd ever had to a father, and was furious at the same time at Oak's lack of consideration for Misty's well being.  
  
"Professor," Misty wheezed, "I don't understand." She paused, gasping for breath, a realisation hitting her. Both Ash and Oak stopped their fighting and turned to face her. "How did you get that cut? And just why are we going to the Lab, if you just came from there? None of this makes sense!"  
  
"She's right ... " Ash mumbled. He stepped back to stand by Misty, not taking his eyes off Oak.  
  
"And what would a pregnant good-for-nothing runt like _you_ know!?" Oak screamed. Ash was overcome by surprise and then anger, now realising that the person in front of him wasn't the person he thought him to be. Pikachu moved to take a protective stance in front of Ash and Misty, sparks flying from his cheeks along with growls.  
  
"Who are you?" Ash asked, ready to fight. "You're not the Professor, are you?" After several seconds of silence, Ash began to lose his temper. "Well!? Just who the hell are you!?"  
  
The anger on Oak's face disappeared suddenly, and he seemed to stand up and look taller than he did usually. "You took your time," he said evilly, the voice coming from his mouth not matching his face. "Then again, you're just like Delia ... Slow to catch on to things." Reaching a hand inside his customary white lab coat, a beeping sound could be heard. A buzzing noise and a flash of light, and suddenly Professor Oak was standing before them no more.  
  
"Bastard!" Ash screamed suddenly, anger filling him totally just like it had done all but a few hours ago when he had been standing in front of the same person he was now. His hands clenched up tighter than they had ever done before, and his stomach squirmed with nausea at the presence of the person he hated the most in the world, yet only knew existed a few short hours ago. "Why the hell do you have to come back here Giovanni!?"  
  
"Because you are here, and I never give up," he replied simply and coldly. He removed his hand from his now suit pocket, and crossed both of his arms in front of his chest. "I could have sworn you have a guardian angel Ketchum. Because you've been lucky ever since the day you were conceived. But not this time ... Today, you won't be that lucky." He then unfolded his arms and reached inside his inner jacket pocket, holding the retrieved item out in his hand. It was a gun, pointing directly at Ash, who suddenly felt all of the anger inside of him turn into terror.  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted out, about to jump up to attack Giovanni when, instead, Giovanni pointed the gun towards the Pokémon. Pikachu froze, unsure of what to do, but sure that he wasn't ready to die just yet. Instead he backed off slowly, heading over to Misty to protect her. That was the most important thing to do, especially with a gun wielding manic who had already 'shot' her once.  
  
"If that rat tries anything, I'll be eating him for supper," Giovanni warned as he pointed the gun back at Ash. Seeing the fear in both Ash and Misty's eyes, Giovanni couldn't help but laugh out loud.  
  
"I fail to see what's funny," Misty said coldly, her voice full of hatred. She watched as Ash stood still, barely moving a muscle. His mind kept racing with thoughts ... He didn't want to die, not now. Not with Misty and his child watching. Not with the child he wanted to see born, and to see grow up.  
  
"This is, right here," Giovanni answered Misty, increasing his already strong grip on the gun, producing several clicking noises from it. "Ever since the day I knew Ash existed, I have wanted to kill him. And now ... Here I am, right now, a gun pointed at his head, and I can't help but think ... " He faded off, noticing the stream of tears that were running down Misty's face. "I can't help but think, and wonder, just how I want him to die."  
  
In the near distance, footsteps could be heard approaching on the dry ground. When they stopped, Ash flicked his eyes briefly from staring down the barrel of the gun, to the three people who were now standing behind Giovanni. Immediately, he felt his anger rise again. "Traitors," he spat at them.  
  
"We'd be the traitor's if we betrayed our boss," Jessie answered him. Keeping a few metres distance away from Giovanni, she raised her hand to her head, saluting him. James and Meowth copied her. "We've been up to the lab sir!"  
  
"So, what about our dear friend Oak," he asked her as he turned to face her, lowering his gun. Ash took the chance to pull Misty towards him briefly and comfort her. "I trust you followed my orders?" Giovanni continued, making sure that Ash and Misty didn't use the opportunity to try anything.  
  
"Uh ... " James hesitated, stepping quickly next to Jessie. The two exchanged nervous glances before returning their gaze back to Giovanni. "We trashed up the lab, but ... Oak got away." Ash sighed with relief, glad that the Professor was safe.  
  
Giovanni, on the other hand, wasn't so glad. "You _idiots_!!" he screamed, pointing his gun directly at them, switching his aim between Jessie and James, both of whom looked suddenly petrified. "After all your difficult successes recently, I give you _one_ easy job ... And you screw it up!"  
  
"It wasn't exactly our fault!" Jessie defended, James shooting her a warning and panicking look. "Oak knew something was going on, he's not stupid! If I was him I'd have got out of there and not stayed in the most obvious place, just like _he_ did!" Finishing her outburst, she stood taking several deep breaths, calming herself down. But, the thing that worried all of them the most, was the neutral look on Giovanni's face.  
  
"You know the price for failure," he said quietly, raising the gun up to Jessie. Next to Ash, Misty was gripping onto his clothes tight. Was he going to shoot Jessie? Just then, before they could find out, a loud scream spreading itself across the quietness of Pallet Town, echoing around them like an air raid siren would. All of them turned their heads towards the origin of the sound ...  
  
It was May, on top of a hill, screaming her head off. Tracey stood next to her, experiencing a mixture of surprise, shock and fear.  
  
Giovanni, meanwhile, didn't waste any time taking advantage of the distraction. Whilst everyone's attention was focused on May, he raised his gun in the direction of Jessie and James and fired towards them. Realising what he was doing, James pushed Jessie out of the way, the bullet landing in his shoulder as the echoes of the bang resonated around them, mixing in with James's grunt of pain.  
  
"Ash! Misty!" May and Tracey shouted out in unison, the two of them running down the hill and towards them as fast as they could. As they did so, Jessie moved to help James, Ash taking the chance to attack Giovanni. He kicked the gun out of his hand, causing him to fall to the floor with a loud gasp.  
  
But in all the commotion, Ash didn't notice what was happening to Misty, who herself was now was on the floor, eyes open wide and her hand over the bump that was their child as she screamed out in pain, Pikachu standing over her. Forgetting about all the others, Ash turned around to look at her ...  
  
And the blood that was now appearing through her clothes.  
  
"Misty!" he shouted out, dropping to the floor besides her. He looked on, feeling more helpless than he had ever done in his life, as Tracey and May ran up behind him and kneeled on the ground, both of them secretly unsure of what to do in the situation. May placed Togepi next to Pikachu, who was looking obviously petrified, but remaining strangely quiet, something that seemed strange to Pikachu.  
  
"Oh God," May gasped, fear threatening to freeze her totally. Noticing a bottle of water nearby, she got Pikachu and Togepi to fetch it for her. She took off her bandana, roughly folding it as Pikachu passed her the bottle, May pouring the water out of it and over her bandana. She then placed it on top of Misty's head, trying to cool her down. "Hey, keep in there Mist," she said, smiling at her.  
  
"Ash, this is dangerous," Tracey warned him, Ash looking at him with total panic in his eyes whilst trying to remain calm and focused. Tracey then looked back towards Misty. "It's also really bad. She could lose the baby."  
  
"No!" Misty squeaked in disbelief, tensing up as the streaks of pain ran throughout her body. "Not the baby!"  
  
"No ... " Ash mumbled, feeling the anger, yet again, burn up within. "This is his fault," he murmured angrily through gritted teeth. "It's all your-" he began, turning around to face Giovanni.  
  
But he wasn't there anymore. Neither was Jessie, James or Meowth.  
  
"They've gone," he murmured, standing up. He turned around, trying to look for any sign of them. "Where the hell have you gone Giovanni!?"  
  
"Pikapi! Pika pika Pikachupi!" Pikachu shouted to him, trying to draw his attention. Togepi called out to him too, and to both their disappointment, they realised that it wasn't working.  
  
"Ash!" May called out to him. He again took no notice so, leaving her bandana on Misty's forehead and in Pikachu and Togepi's care, she went over to Ash and shook him violently by his shoulders, trying to snap him out of his stare. "Ash Ketchum! There's no point standing and shouting, to _hell_ with Team Rocket right now! Misty needs your help, we can't do it alone! We have to help her or the baby will die!"  
  
"Ash, please!" Tracey begged him, his sleeves rolled up his elbows. Realising the seriousness of the situation, Ash's anger subsided and May let go of him, letting him turn around to face Misty and move over to grip onto her hand. May moved back to Misty's head, helping the Pokémon to pour more water on her bandana and place it back on Misty's forehead.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologised, kissing Misty on her forehead. "You'll be ok," he reassured her, gripping her hand hard. He felt so torn up, confused as well. None of them had any idea what to do, or how to do it. All they could do was tell each other that it was gonna be ok, that everything would be ok and that so would Misty and the baby. Looking at May, Pikachu, Togepi and then Tracey, he wished that they all really believed it would be.  
  
"It hurts," she whispered, gritting her teeth and returning Ash's squeeze on her hand. "Tracey ... Can you help? Do you know what to do?" she asked him desperately.  
  
Unfortunately for all of them, Tracey shook his head, sadness and regret across his face. "I'm sorry Misty, I really am. I'm only a Watcher, I've never had to do something like this. I could try though," he offered. Misty tensed up again as another spasm of pain moved throughout her body and Tracey placed his hands on her knees, trying to hold her down.  
  
"Isn't she meant to push when she that happens?" May asked, Ash and Tracey looking at her to see if she knew more. "I'm not sure, I only know stuff that I watched on TV!"  
  
"Well there we are then!" Tracey shouted, moving from his position to besides May. "You're a girl May, you've watched something like this, so in the circumstances you're better qualified to deliver the baby," he said, urging May to the foot of Misty's body.  
  
May looked on, feeling faint at the sight of blood. She swallowed heavily, rolling up her sleeves. "Misty, I'm not totally sure what to do," May told her, placing a reassuring hand on her knee. She fought to keep her hand still, not wanting to alert Misty to her fear. She looked over to Ash. "I'll do what I can Ash."  
  
"Thanks," he said, smiling at May. She returned it before turning her complete attention back to Misty, Ash leaning down on Misty, kissing her forehead tenderly.  
  
"It's getting worse!" Misty screamed as more pain crashed throughout her body. She tried to breathe as best she could, remembering what she had been told at the few pre-natal sessions she and Ash had attended. "Where's Delia? She was a midwife! She'd know what to do!"  
  
"But there's been no sign of her," Ash told her, his hand stroking her cheek. He then watched again, helplessly, as yet again pain coursed its way through her, this time Misty shouting out to try and help herself endure it.  
  
"Her contractions are getting closer, that means you've gotta start pushing soon," May warned, Pikachu and Togepi yet again helping Tracey to add more water to the bandana. "Don't look at me like that, at least I have some _concept_ of what a birth is like!" she shouted at Tracey, who had rolled his eyes at her statement.  
  
"Tracey just let her try!" Misty shouted out, sitting up as, yet again, pain washed over her and she screamed out. Ash moved to sit behind her, his knees being used to hold her upper body up.  
  
"Pikachu, get some more water," Tracey said, Pikachu complying as he dug another bottle of out Ash's bag, handing it over to Tracey. He looked over towards Ash, feeling his trainer's helplessness, as well as his own, as Tracey cooled down the bandana and put it back on Misty's head, the tracks of water running off and onto the ground. He then looked at Togepi, feeling sorry that the small child had to watch his mother go through pain like this, knowing full well that Misty and her baby could both die.  
  
"Keep her like that Ash," May told him as she reached inside Misty's skirt and pulled her legs apart slightly. "Holy shit!" May exclaimed, her eyes popping out of her head. Remembering where she was, she internally cursed herself, taking a deep breath to try and help keep herself calm. Now wasn't the time to scream like a school child.  
  
"Wha is it?" Ash asked her quickly, only receiving a shaking head from May in return. Annoyance combining with fright inside of him, he started shouting without thinking. "May, you have no idea how helpless I feel! Our baby could die, and all I can do is sit here and do nothing to stop it!"  
  
"Ash, you need to keep calm!" Tracey whispered loudly. "Misty needs moral support, something only you can give her right now! Reassure her Ash, do _something_!"  
  
Something in the distance caught Pikachu's attention. Ears pricking up, a relieved smile appearing on his face. "Pichupi!" Pikachu shouted out, running away from the three of them.  
  
"Pikachu!" Tracey called after him, raising his head from Misty to look in the direction Pikachu had taken off in ...  
  
And never before had he been so glad to see Brock and Delia running towards them.  
  
"Misty!" Delia shouted out as she approached them, mentally kicking herself that if she hadn't been sleeping, she might have been there from the beginning to help her. Hearing her shouts, Ash and May immediately looked towards them, both glad that someone was there who knew what they were doing.  
  
"Delia!" Misty cried to her, pain causing her to almost scream afterwards. "The baby!" she called again, Ash pushing the hair out of her eyes. Togepi looked onwards, tears gathering in its eyes.  
  
"It's ok dear, you'll be ok," Delia soothed them all as she reached May's position. "Let me take over sweetie," she said calmly, May almost too glad to be moved away by Brock.  
  
"I tried," May wept, curling up into a ball with Brock, Togepi and Pikachu all beside her. "God Brock, I tried, but I didn't have a clue." Nodding in the direction of Tracey, Brock silently asked him to sit and comfort May. As he began to move over, Brock took the place of Tracey next to Misty, glancing up at Ash and giving him a reassuring smile.  
  
"What happened?" Brock asked Ash, checking Misty's temperature with the back of his hand. Smiling reassuringly down at her, she managed a small one back before the pain returned to her again and she called out once more.  
  
"Giovanni shot James," Ash told him, Brock looking at him with several unanswered questions. "Jessie and James tricked us, they tried to get to Professor Oak, and when they couldn't find him, Giovanni shot at them." He stopped as Misty cried out in pain once, Ash holding her down.  
  
"When's the ambulance going to arrive?" Delia asked them both, worry clear on her face. She glanced towards Tracey and May, and then looked at Ash with disbelief. "You haven't called one!? Tracey, May, go and do it! Quick!"  
  
"Come on," Tracey said, standing up and helping May, who was clutching a frightened Togepi, to do the same. Pikachu decided to go with them, feeling like there was nothing he could do there to help. The four of them ran off down the road in the direction of Delia's house, as Delia's voice took on an edge of urgency.  
  
"Ash honey, let Brock hold her up," she said to him softly, almost like she was talking to a child. Misty already holding herself up, Ash moved to sit by her side as Brock took her weight off her arms and on to him instead. Ash grabbed onto her hand, kissing it as she groaned in pain again.  
  
"Delia, she can't take much more of this," Brock warned her, Misty breathing heavily.  
  
"She doesn't have to," Delia told both of them. She placed her hands on Misty's knees and leaned in towards her. "Misty dear, I want you to listen to me." Misty nodded her head weakly. "When you feel the urge to push, and you will soon ... Do it, as hard as you can. You're nearly there darling."  
  
Nodding her head frantically, feeling the urge building up inside of her, Misty edged herself upwards against Brock, one hand gripping Brock's arm whilst the other was firmly in Ash's. "It's nearly- _Aaaaaaah_!" she screamed, pushing downward with what little energy she had left in her body. Her throat felt raw from the screaming, and then the pain ... It was everywhere, all around her, and all she wanted was for it to just leave her alone.  
  
"Come on Misty," Ash said, wiping at her sweaty forehead with his sleeve. "You're nearly there, you can do it." Through her gasping, she turned to look at him, taking strength from his gaze.  
  
"I love you," she managed to wheeze out, her face screwing up in pain afterwards as the onset of a contraction neared. She readjusted her grip on Ash's hand, feeling like she was almost popping it off his arm as the urge to push flowed through her again. She acted on it, shouting out loud as she pushed down, feeling her baby move within her.  
  
Then, suddenly, it stopped. It was all over. Collapsing exhaustedly onto Brock, she was surprised at the range of emotions that bubbled and washed over her in such a short period of time. Relief, exhaustion, love ... And a surprising sense of loneliness that, once again, there was no one inside of her to nurture, to look after. Finding from somwhere the energy to push herself up, she reminded herself that, instead, the person she had carried inside her for the premature 6 months was now real, for her and Ash to look after.  
  
Except for one thing ... The baby wasn't crying.  
  
"Brock!" Delia shouted out, adrenaline rushing throughout her body as she quickly moved to help save the baby, Brock moving from behind Misty and next to Delia to help her do so. Ash quickly took Misty into his arms, hugging her tightly and closely as the tears came quickly from her eyes.  
  
"Mom, please," Ash begged, tears appearing in his own eyes as he looked on at her and Brock, the two of them trying desperately to make the baby breathe, Misty continuously sobbing into his chest. Looking at them, he felt a strange numbness settle over him, almost like it was a dream, and he was just an observer, not a participant.  
  
And it was there that he watched as his dream turned into a nightmare, when Delia looked at Brock with a great sadness on her face. Nodding his head reluctantly, Brock took off his jacket and wrapped the small, unmoving form that Delia passed to him within it. Delia, her head bent over in sadness, defeat and grief, couldn't watch as Brock handed Ash and Misty their baby, and the grandchild that she couldn't save.  
  
"Girl," Brock mumbled as he handed her to her father, unsure of what to say, but knowing he couldn't break down in front of Ash and Misty right now. He needed to be strong for both of them, he needed to help them get through it all, and the pain of losing their first-born child. But, at that moment in time, as watched his two best friends grieve, he knew it was one of the hardest thing he would ever have to do in his life.  
  
"No ... " Ash mumbled, pulling back the jumper slightly to look upon the form that was his baby daughter. Misty watched him sheepishly as he did so, not wanting to admit and face up to what had just happened. "My little girl ... " he faded off, the tears flowing down his face. Losing the strength in his arms, he handed their baby to Misty, who clutched it tightly to her chest. Ash pulled her close to him and the two of them sat there, consumed in their own grief.  
  
"They're on their way!" May called to them from down the road, Togepi in her arms as she ran and Tracey and Pikachu following shortly after them. "They said that-" she stopped, noticing the scene before her and the absence of happiness that she was expecting from the birth of the baby. Realising just what had happened whilst she had been gone, one hand moved to over her mouth as she, also, began to cry, Togepi curling up as she held him.  
  
"Pikachu ... " Pikachu mumbled sadly, the tears creeping from his eyes too. Tracey, behind him, hung his head down sadly, feeling an enormous sense of failure within him. He could have done more to help ... He _should_ have done more to help her! But, in thinking this, he wasn't alone.  
  
And, as the group stayed there in their mourning, the wail of approaching ambulance sirens echoed towards them from the distance ...

...

**END PART 8  
**  
Well, by now you should have read the 'twist' in this story ... So really I should probably justify this to you people (and there will be at least 2, I predict!) who now hate my guts.  
  
Firstly, I'm trying to experiment with other themes in my story other than AAML. A baby, which seemed a great idea when I first wrote this, symbolises a lifetime bond. Plus, I ran out of ideas of what could happen to Misty next in her pregnancy, because it makes her friends seem like they do nothing all day but talk about her!  
  
Also, when this fic _finally_ gets finished, there will be several drastic alterations made, leading up the final 'complete' story being posted on ff.net! Ooooh, "How Much Can Happen In A Year? – Directors Cut", there's something to look forward to! Don't expect it for ages though.   
  
Anyways, please RR! Part 9 hasn't been stated yet, so I could probably change all of this if I really wanted to. My public ... Tell me what you thought ...


End file.
